The Perfect Husband
by Fox McCloude
Summary: The Queen of Hyrule has died, and her daughter must get married before succeeding her in the throne. But fed up with the search of a suitor, she decides to leave on a journey... Alternate universe. 100% ZeLink. Warning: Not for Ilia fans.
1. The promise

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 1: The promise.**_

_**Hyrule**__** Castle…**_

Queen Selena had been a noble and wise monarch. After her husband's death, she took her responsibilities with the Kingdom of Hyrule very seriously, always looking out for the well-being of her people. She was a very strong-willed woman, but also kind-hearted, and everyone in the kingdom admired and respected her for it. Under her rule, the people flourished and were very happy.

But one fateful day, the noble queen was stricken by a terminal illness. Even though she was a strong woman, and she was attended by the best doctors, her health debilitated progressively day after day. Eventually, she realized that her time was running out, and it was time for her heiress to take her place. So, when she was in her deathbed, she summoned her daughter.

- Princess Zelda, Her Majesty the Queen wants to see you immediately. – A woman in her middle thirties, with pale skin, white hair and scarlet eyes, spoke to a young lady who was kneeled, praying before the altar of the temple.

- I'm coming, Impa. – The young lady answered as she stood up and began walking away.

Princess Zelda was a 16-year-old girl, with golden hair, blue eyes and skin almost as white as snow, considered by many as one of the most beautiful young ladies in the entire kingdom, and a near-spitting image of her mother at the same age.

The young princess walked slowly across the castle's hallways. She kept her hands on her chest and her eyes did not hide at all the sadness and sorrow she felt, as she was aware of the condition of her mother. Once she arrived to the door leading to her mother's room, she took a deep breath and opened it up to enter.

- Mother? – She said upon entering.

- Zelda… come closer, please. – The monarch said from her bed, with a huge effort.

The young woman approached her and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her mother's hand with both of her own, both of them looking into each other's eyes. Even though she was so pale due to her illness, she still looked really beautiful, even for her age. She had the same blue eyes as her daughter, but her hair was a tad darker, and her skin was paler than normal due to her current condition. Nevertheless, as weakened as she was, the monarch managed to gather up enough strength to speak to her daughter.

- My daughter… from the very day you were born, I've tried to prepare you for this moment. – She said in a weak, yet firm, voice. – I will soon be gone, and you will have to take my place as the new ruler of Hyrule. -

- Mother… - Zelda was struggling to hold back her tears, as painful it was, she knew it was true, and she would have to face it soon, she had to be strong.

- I have taught you everything I know of life… and I tried to raise you as best as I could. -

- Believe me; I couldn't be more grateful for all you have done for me. – Zelda said, trying to smile to her mother. – However… I don't know if I'm ready yet. I really… don't think I can live up to you. -

- My dear daughter, I know you're still young, and there's still a lot for you to learn… but I have faith in you. I know you can make it. But, before I leave… there's one thing, even though I've told you so many times… I want you to remember once I'm gone. -

- Mother… – Zelda knew exactly what her mother was about to say. According to her, it was the most important life lesson, and that's why she never questioned her mother when she reminded her of it.

- As the traditions dictate, you can only assume the throne once you become of age and get married. However… I know very well that arranged, loveless marriages bring nothing else than pain and suffering, and in the worst cases, even terrible tragedies. The Goddesses demand that marriages must be made out of love, and that everyone, nobles or peasants, princes and plebeians, deserve to live with the people they love. -

- Mother… -

- Zelda, you were born from the love that blossomed between me and your father. For me… that's the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, and I want you to know the true joy of forming a family with love. That's why I want you to promise me, I want you to promise me that you'll marry out of love, and not because of your obligations. I'm sure you will choose a good husband, somebody who will love you for who you really are, as long as you follow your heart. -

- I... -

Zelda didn't know what to say. Those words from her mother had been really deep; everything sounded like a fairytale, but everything she said made a lot of sense. Even in her final moments, Queen Selena wished from the bottom of her heart nothing short of happiness for her daughter. The young princess understood just by looking into her eyes, and clasping her mother's hand, she nodded.

- I promise… - She said at last. – It might not be easy… but I will find him no matter what. -

- I'm so proud of you, my little daughter. – The Queen said, smiling. – I'm just sorry I won't be present when you have made your own family… but I'll always be watching over you from the heavens. Zelda, don't forget that I will always love you. -

- I love you too… Mom. – Zelda embraced her mother, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, and she wept for all she was worth. The Queen somehow managed to raise her arms and return her daughter's embrace. Mother and daughter remained in the same position, after all, that would be their last embrace. Zelda wept in her mother's arms until she fell asleep, she wouldn't let go of her until the end. Once the Queen noticed her daughter had fallen asleep, she used the last of her strength to hold her tightly, and closing her eyes, she smiled one last time, while whispering her final words.

- Please, be happy… -

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><p><em><strong>Sometime<strong>__** later…**_

The following 12 months were really hard for the young heiress. Since she was not of age to act in the kingdom's business, the Prime Minister would take care of such responsibilities, also giving the Princess time to recover emotionally from the pain of the loss of her mother. Fortunately for her, following the last request the late ruler had given, her caretaker, Impa, assumed the role of a second motherly figure for Zelda. The woman had taken care of her since she was a baby, and she had always loved her as if she was her own daughter, therefore she took very seriously the task of helping in soothing her pain. Thanks to her support, Zelda eventually gained the strength to overcome the loss of her mother.

Once the mourning time was over, the time came for Zelda to assume her responsibilities. While she was young and lacked experience, and many on the royal council had their doubts, the Princess took her duties very seriously, and she demonstrated to be mature and capable enough to face them. Nevertheless, there was still a problem. As the traditions said, the heiress couldn't be crowned as queen until she had married. To that end, a grand celebration was arranged, to choose the one who would rule Hyrule alongside Zelda in the future.

The news spread quickly around the entire continent. Dozens of princes and nobles from Hyrule and the neighboring countries attended the celebration, all of them with a single idea: to become the husband of Princess Zelda. However, the heiress to the throne of Hyrule herself was the only one who did not enjoy said celebration. In her eyes, all the possible suitors were the same. Some of them offered great riches, others offered power, and many others tried to show off their personal skills and abilities… but none of them offered what she really wanted: love. For her, all those men were just a bunch of shallow and arrogant idiots.

The parties, balls and banquets continued, day after day, week after week, but to no avail. As fast as they arrived, they were rejected. The Princess became more and more distant, due to the overstrain caused by the so-called celebration for her engagement, both physically and emotionally. She created an ice barrier between her and her suitors, even to the point of slapping one of them when he tried to go a little too far with her, leaving in clear that she might be young, but not naïve.

A month passed, and the Princess formally announced that she wouldn't get married to any of the suitors who attended the celebration. There was a large scandal at the castle's hall, and many of the presents even felt insulted after being rejected. However, Zelda remained firm on her position, stating that she would be betraying the last wish of her mother if she accepted to become engaged to any of the suitors, and she immediately left the hall, leaving everybody perplexed.

That night, before going to sleep, Zelda sat on the edge of her bed. She was wondering if she had done the right thing, after all the time and effort they had put into the celebration to choose her future husband, but in the end she didn't do it. While she was pondering on it, somebody knocked her door.

- Come in. – She said. The door opened, it was Impa.

- Still thinking about it, Princess? – The woman asked.

- Yes, I guess. – Zelda replied.

- Do you want to talk about it? -

- I guess it could help me. – The princess replied, trying to smile. The woman entered the room, and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. – Impa, answer me sincerely … was I wrong in what I did? -

- The Prime Minister is really upset because all what he invested in that celebration was for nothing. Although… if you followed your heart, there's nothing to worry about. -

- Impa… all this search for a suitor… it's really tiring… I wish I could leave it, if only for a while. –

- You feel a bit tense, don't you? – Impa asked, and the princess nodded. – Maybe, all you need is to leave this castle, and get some fresh air. -

- Leave the castle? – Zelda asked.

- You have been locked up in here for a long time. You and Her Majesty the Queen used to go to out to the Castle Town when you were little. Perhaps, now is a good time for you to know about the life outside the castle walls. -

- That sounds good, but… -

- Yes, I know the Prime Minister will not approve it. – Impa said, sighing with a bit of resignation. – Even so, your mother wrote in her testament that, until you come of age, I'm in charge of your custody, and if I authorize you to leave the castle, nobody can stop you. Of course, we'll have to make some arrangements. We don't want to cause a riot if it becomes known that the Princess has left the castle. -

- That's true. – Zelda nodded in agreement. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scandal.

- You leave it in my hands. This should help you to clear your mind. About the engagement, that can wait a bit, you still are a few months away from your coming of age. -

- Thank you, Impa. – The young princess embraced her attendant, and the woman returned the embrace affectionately. She had taken care of Zelda since she was a baby, and she really loved her a lot, almost as if she was her own daughter.

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><p><em><strong>A few days later<strong>__**…**_

After one or two arguments with the Prime Minister, Impa managed to get the authorization to allow Zelda to leave the castle, promising that she would be back in a few months. Zelda had applied a brown dye on her hair and had let it down (think that she normally has it in the braid as in Twilight Princess or Brawl). Impa ordered the tailors to make some modest clothing for her, so it wouldn't give away her condition. The young princess was really pleased, as the elegant dresses she was forced to wear could be sometimes a bit uncomfortable, not to mention all of the jewelry she had to show off with them. Impa also gave her a bag full of rupees she could use to survive for about four or five months. Zelda accepted them, although she wondered if it wouldn't be better to try and find a job somewhere. Then again, having lived in that castle for her entire life, maybe she didn't know too much about the works of the commoners.

At the castle gate, Impa gave a few final instructions to the princess before she departed. Since it was nightfall, she would be escorted by some guards up until the castle town, but once she had entered she would be on her own so as not to drag attention. She would spend the night at the inn, and the next morning she would buy a horse to ride in the open field.

- Well, there's nothing else for me to say, just be careful out there, and make sure to come back safe and sound. -

- I shall, Impa, don't worry. – Zelda said. – Meanwhile, please take care of the Prime Minister and try not to get him too hysterical. –

- Hehehe, I will try. – The woman replied. – OK, travel well, may the Goddesses be with you, and watch over you back and forth. –

- Thanks, Impa. – Zelda said, hugging her one last time, before walking towards the Castle Town entrance, escorted by four guards. Impa could only watch as the princess slowly walked away. For a moment, she wished to have accompanied her, but she then thought Zelda needed some time for herself, which she had almost completely lacked as she was the heir to the throne of Hyrule. Whatever the roads had in store, Zelda was no longer a child, surely enough she could face it.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

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><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

Hey there, people. This is my first fic of Zelda. It had been finished long ago, but only recently I decided to translate it into English. Some points I'd like to talk about. First, the games never go in-depth in regards to Zelda's relationship with her mother, and as far as I know she has never appeared, the closest thing to a motherly figure she has had is Impa, so I tried to go deep into it. I'll confess that it was hard for me to make her die early, but I felt it was necessary to establish the starting point of the story, which, as you see, is about the promise Zelda makes to her mother before she dies, and that will be the key in the unfolding of the story. Second, as for Zelda "dyeing" her hair, let's just say I needed a pretext to explain the change in her hair color, besides, it'll also have its utility. Let's face it, in the anime and videogames, it just takes to change the hair color and/or comb it in a different style to transform into a completely different person. (At least in the eyes of the in-series characters *chuckle*) Besides, Queen Selena was a character I created a few years ago, and back then I was used to see Zelda blonde, so I obviously made her mother with the same hair color. Although to be sincere, after Brawl came out I began liking Zelda better as a brunette than blonde, but I didn't feel like changing my character's hair color just to adapt to that, so I figured, Zelda could be naturally blonde, but she dyes her hair brown to go incognita. And it works.

Well, that's all I have to say. Be seeing ya.


	2. The journey begins

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 2: The journey begins.**_

_**Hyrule**__** Castle Town…**_

Zelda watched as the guards escorting her were lentamente slowly walking back to the castle, leaving her all alone. Now it was time for her to go on her own. The young princess took a deep breath before going into town, praying so nobody will recognize her and make a fuss over it. At least for a time, she hoped to live as a normal girl, and not as a princess.

Impa's plan worked out wonderfully. Nobody set their sights on the brunette, blue-eyed young woman when she entered the town. Well, except for one or two men who were walking around at that moment, but obviously they were not looking at her "that" way. Zelda felt relieved, and she calmly made her way towards the town's inn.

Impa had already made a reservation for her in advance, and for a small amount, she had convinced the innkeeper not to reveal that the Princess was there. Not that it was really important, after all, she would only stay for that night.

Once in her room, Zelda went into the bathroom to take a shower, maybe to fully soothe her nerves. Before going out, she looked at herself in the mirror. She really looked different, with her different-colored hair, not to mention that her face didn't display any trace of the makeup she used to wear everyday at the castle, except for a light red lipstick.

- Hmm, I think this is the first time I see the face of the real Zelda. – She said with a smile. Even though she was frequently reminded by other people of her great beauty, Zelda was not vane at all about her looks. However, this time she couldn't help but feel good upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, maybe because she was seeing herself as a normal girl, and not as the Princess of Hyrule. - *Yawn*, well, I'll enjoy it while I can. -

Zelda went out of the bathroom, and drew out of her bag her underclothes and a blue nightgown, which she immediately put on. She dropped herself on the bed, but before going to sleep, she also drew out a small book her mother had left for her. A book filled with legends about Hyrule, with many interesting stories to read. She decided to read a bit before going to sleep.

- "_A long, long time ago…when the world was in the verge of being swallowed by shadow…the tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the hero of men and a golden light… With courage and wisdom, the hero drove out the darkness… When peace had been restored, the people enshrined that blade with care…" - _

(**NDA:** Fragment extracted from the prologue of The Minish Cap)

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><p><em><strong>The next morning<strong>__**…**_

The noise made by the people at the castle town's market awoke Zelda from her dreams. The young princess had fallen asleep while reading; the book was still in her hand when she opened her eyes. She got up from her bed and opened her window to get some fresh air.

- Well… my journey officially begins today. – She said. – Now, where should I go first? -

She recalled Impa had told her to buy a horse for her travel. It wasn't advisable to take a horse from the castle as they all had the mark of the royal family and they could be easily recognized, and Zelda of course wanted to remain undercover. Well, she would later have time for that, for now, she just needed something for breakfast.

After washing herself, she took a white and blue dress, quite modest, and put it on; she packed up her stuff and left the inn. She stopped by several stands to buy some supplies for the way before leaving town. Things seemed to be really quiet, until she heard some barks and groans from a dog, as well as the noise of bottles breaking.

- Get away from my baby, you savage beast! – She heard a woman with a raucous voice screaming, a lot of people began crowding up around the place. – There, there, baby, mama's here. -

Zelda couldn't help but feel curiosity, and she approached to see what was going on. A fat lady was cradling a white dog in her arms, like a mother with her baby, while a red-haired girl, about the same age as Zelda was trying to calm down a sorrel horse dragging a carriage full of milk bottles. The carriage had been tipped over and all its bottles were broken, save for a few which had miraculously survived, and the valuable liquid had been spilled all over the place.

- Ma'am! Don't let your dog on the loose like that, look at what he did! – The red-haired girl protested.

- What? Young lady, my little Richard is not to blame! – The fat lady replied. – It was all because of that street mutt who scared him! –

- No matter! The two of them scared my horse, and caused him to tip over the carriage with my milk bottles! –

- Oh, and I suppose you expect me to pay for it? – The fat lady said with a lilt of haughtiness.

By listening to the conversation and looking at the mess around the place, Zelda didn't take long to deduce what had happened. It seemed that the fat lady's dog had gotten into a fight with a street mutt, and in the mess they caused, they scared the girl's horse, causing him to tip over the carriage and break all of its valuable load, and obviously she wanted the fat lady to pay for it.

- Ah, what an insolence! Listen up girl, you can't expect me to pay for something which wasn't MY fault. And now, if you excuse me, I have more important business to take care of, with your permission. – The fat lady turned around and even with everybody staring at her she left, swinging around as if she wanted to make fun of the poor girl.

- Hey, wait! – The girl cried out, but it was in vain, that pompous and cranky fat lady had already left. The poor girl fell to her knees, as she watched all her valuable stock completely lost, she was in the verge of tears. - *Sigh*, what am I going to do now? The girls will kill me when they find out about this. –

At that moment, Zelda couldn't stand still just looking anymore. That woman had acted so barefacedly with the girl, and that was unforgivable. On top of that, everybody around there seemed to be, either too astonished for what had just happened, or too selfish, as she didn't see any of them to move a finger to help her. She wanted to say one or two things to that fat lady, but since she was gone already, all she could do now was to try and help the girl, so she approached her.

- Excuse me… can I help you with that? – She asked, while kneeling to help her straighten up her carriage.

- No, it's alright, I can do it myself. – The girl replied trying to smile.

- That woman was really mean to you, she should have paid your milk. – Zelda said.

- Yeah, but what can we do? She refused. – She replied, exhaling a sigh. – We were counting on today's sales to pay our debts… we're in real troubles now. -

- Hmm… - Hearing that moved something inside of Zelda, as she asked next. – How much? -

- Huh? -

- How much was all that milk you lost? -

- Are you saying you're gonna pay for it? – She said. – That's so kind of you, but nobody would have that much money. -

- You can't be sure of that. – Zelda smiled, she didn't seem willing to let her offer be turned down.

- Hmm… well, about 2500 or 3000 rupees, but I insist, nobody… what's this? – The girl asked, while Zelda was handing her a small pouch. When she didn't receive any more response than a gesture urging her to accept it, the redhead finally relented, and she was struck in awe when she saw its contain. – But… this is… -

- There are 5000 inside; you can keep the rest for yourself. – Zelda said smiling.

- But, this is too much. I… I cannot accept it. -

- You need it more than me. – Zelda insisted.

- But I cannot pay you back for this. -

- Tell you what, how about you give me a couple of your remaining milk bottles? I'll soon be traveling, and they might come in handy for the way. So, are we even? -

After a while of deliberating, the redhead finally stood up, and handed Zelda a couple of milk bottles as she had asked. She kindly thanked her for her help, promising her that someday she would return her the favor, but Zelda told her it wasn't necessary, and then she left.

Satisfied after helping the girl with her troubles, Zelda went on to buy her horse. She asked for the best one they had. It wasn't cheap, but of course, money wasn't a problem for her at that moment. It was worth its price, a beautiful white male steed with a vigorous constitution, clearly a well-raised specimen, and the best of all, very tame, considering how fast he accepted his new owner. Zelda was grateful that her mother had taught her how to ride since she was little. She also bought a mounting chair with saddlebags to carry her belongings, and of course the ropes to direct him. Being all set, she rode her new friend and left the castle walls, stopping for a moment while passing through the drawbridge.

- You need a name. – She said looking at her steed, thinking about how she could name him. – Cloud. Yes, that's a good name. Very well, let's see where we can go now. – Zelda took the map she had been given to orient herself. – OK… Kakariko Village is not too far from here. I think that could be a good place to start. Alright, let's get going. Yah! -

She snapped the ropes, the white steed began trotting. This would be the first time she would go to the village, since her mother never took her outside of the castle town's walls when she was little. Everything Zelda knew about Kakariko Village came from what she had read in her books, and from what her mother and Impa had told her. Supposedly, it had been built decades ago by the Sheikahs, also known as "the people of the shadows". Previously, nobody who wasn't a member of the Sheikahs was allowed to enter the village, but when they came into the service of the royal family of Hyrule, things change. In any case, the Sheikah clan had almost completely disappeared in the last war and as far as they knew, Impa was the only living descendant of them.

After about two or three hours riding across Hyrule field, they arrived to their destination. Zelda thought about staying there for two or three days to make some tourism and get to know the place better. At the entrance, she got off of her mount, and taking a deep breath, she went into the village. The place looked very different when seeing it with her own eyes than she remembered if from her books.

She went into the inn to ask for a room, leaving Cloud in the stable. She was lucky, nobody recognized her there either. Once in her room, she once again opened her map to think about where she could go later. The idea of visiting the Death Mountain didn't attract her, as it had well-earned that name, even though the occasional eruptions didn't represent a threat to the village despite its closeness, the burning rocks it usually sent flying were at least capable of causing third-degree burns to whoever was idiotic enough to get close. She would be content with the view from the village.

- I think I might visit Lake Hylia later. – She said. – It wouldn't take me more than four or five hours on horseback from here. -

The waters in Lake Hylia came from the Zora River. Years ago, the royal family of Hyrule made a pact with the zoras so they would help them in keeping the water pure and crystalline, an in exchange, they allowed them to establish themselves in what came to be known as the Zora Domain. Zelda remembered that she had already met the Queen of the Zoras, Rutela and her daughter, Ruto, back when she was 8 years old. Queen Rutela was a fairly nice woman, but unfortunately the same couldn't be said of her daughter, she was the clearest example of a spoiled and capricious princess. She never stopped talking about herself, about what she had, about this and that, to the point Zelda ended up getting bored and left her talking to herself, not to mention that she used to treat her servants in a very disdainful way. Zelda though that, being the same age as her, they could be good friends, but in the end she changed her mind. Her mother had taught her from a very early age to be modest and gentle with others, no matter who they were, but since Ruto shared a completely different perspective in that regard, they would obviously not get along. After that, they didn't see each other until several years later, specifically when they had begun those celebrations for Zelda to pick her future husband. Zelda could notice Ruto hadn't changed a bit over the years, so she had to cope with her and pretend that she was interested in everything she said.

- I guess I won't be going to the Domain, then. – She said with a giggle, the last thing she wanted would be having to withstand the endless monologues of the Zora Princess, although it was a pity, because as far as she knew, the Zora Domain was a lovely place to visit, and not everybody would be allowed to enter. – Well, I guess I can decide later where I should go. -

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two weeks later<strong>__**…**_

After three days in Kakariko Village, and doing as much tourism as possible, Zelda decided to continue her journey. Having little-to-no troubles along the way, she traveled from town to town, stopping for a couple of days to get supplies and get to know the place. While she wasn't too eager to get in relationships with the people in the towns, and she tried to keep her distance, at least she was seeing her people closely enough so as to understand better their needs firsthand. No doubt, that would be really helpful to her once she was crowned as queen. Many things along the way, like plants, and animals, also attracted her attention, not everything was the same as she had seen it in her books. Being in contact with nature, seeing and feeling it firsthand was much better than reading the largest of the books in her library.

In this moment, Zelda and Cloud were trotting along the road. Their next destination was the town of Ordon. However, when she least expected, she came across a landslide, large boulders had fallen upon the main road, completely blocking the access. The men working there told her that they would take about one or two more days to remove them, and the only way to get to Ordon from there would be taking a detour through the woods. But they warned her not to go there, as in the last few days, a group of bandits had been moving around the zone, waiting for helpless travelers to ambush them.

Zelda found herself in front of a huge dilemma. She had been riding for about 4 hours since she left the last town, and from there she would only need a couple of hours more to get to Ordon. It was already past 2 pm, and she couldn't go back because it would be nighttime and the entrance to town was closed after the sunset. She didn't like very much the idea of sleeping all alone under the stars, so at last, gathering up courage and putting all the trust in the Goddesses, she decided to take the detour through the woods.

The path through Ordon woods became darker the deeper she went. Zelda was making a huge effort to remain calm, although she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She intended to cross the path as fast as possible, but it was hard for a horse to advance through a forest, and in case of danger, it was too risky to try and run away, both for her and her mount, as she could easily crash into or trip over with something.

- At last, there's the road. – She said in relief when she finally saw the exit, after going around for about an hour or so. However, her relief was trounced when a couple of guys jumped out of a bush. They were burly and bad-looking, scruffy, their faces and arms full of scars, and they wielded large axes, with a broad, malevolent grin. Trying not to lose the composure, Zelda's first reaction was to try and walk away, but three more of them showed up on the other side. Slowly but surely, they forced her stepping back into an open field near a big tree, forming a semicircle around her. They had her surrounded.

- Well, well, jus' lookie the cutie we found, guys. – The one who seemed to be the leader spoke. – OK, missy, be nice, and get off your mule... or horse, whatever, mwehehehehe. -

Zelda didn't respond. These thugs were up to no good. Part of her education also included the knowledge of magic, and she had learned some spells to use in self-defense. But that was something only those who had connections to the royal family would have access, meaning that using them would be practically revealing her identity, which she didn't want. Even so, these thugs were about to go all over her, and she had to do something; otherwise she had no way to know what these ruffians could do to her. Her physical integrity was at stake, so she didn't ponder anymore, placed her hands together and closed her eyes, while discretely began casting a spell in a low voice. A small luminous sphere began materializing itself in her hands, but it didn't go too far, as a fierce cry of pain broke her concentration.

- AAAAAHHH! -

- You OK, boss? -

- Ya think I'm OK, idiot? -

When Zelda opened her eyes, she saw what had happened, the thug had received a well-aimed arrow shot, forcing him to drop his axe. He tried to remove it, but the arrow's tip remained inside, although it somewhat served as a plug to the wound. The bandits became wary, wondering who had been. Zelda looked around as well, trying to see who had shot the arrow.

Suddenly, without warning, a second arrow flew past the shoulder of one of the bandits near the boss, barely scratching his shirt. The thug fell on his butt out of fear. And before they could say anything, a third arrow almost hit the boss' big toe. Considering the angles of the arrows, they deduced the mysterious attacker was shooting at them from some elevated point. Forgetting for a moment about their potential victim, the bandit boss began screaming out.

- Alright, whoever you are hotshot, get out and face me like a man! Don't chicken out on me! –

As a response, another arrow hit him directly on the knee, causing him to scream in pain even louder than before; Zelda had to cover up her ears to withstand the agonizing cry. When it finally ended, somebody fell in front of her. She couldn't see his face, as he had his back turned to her, bud judging by his constitution he seemed to be a young man. He had blond hair, and hylian ears. He wore a green floppy cap and a matching tunic, white pants and deer skin boots. He had a quiver full of arrows on his back, and a sword hanging from his belt. With a firm hand, the young man raised his bow, and prepared another arrow, aimed at the bandit boss.

- Did you forget my warning? Change your life, or you'll pay with it. -

- You again, kiddo? – The bandit boss exclaimed, obviously they had met before. – Grr, I should 'a known. You was lucky last time, but you ain't be so lucky now. –

- Don't even give one more step. – The young man warned him, tensing the bow even more. – Or I'll shoot you right in the middle of the eyes. -

- Hehe, no, you ain't have the guts. I'll teach ye some respect. – The boss said, getting his axe back.

The bandit boss tried to play boastful, but his boldness ended up to be his doom, as the young man had no qualms about fulfilling his threat. The arrow flew, swift and speedy, landing in-between the bandit's eyebrows, who fell down never to get up again. The rest of the group watched in horror their leader's corpse, and shortly after saw as the young man prepared yet another arrow, advancing forwards as a way of warning.

- This is the last time I'll tell you. Get away from here, and don't even dream of attacking travelers again. No bandit is gonna pillage freely in these woods on my watch, got it? – His voice sounded authoritarian, he really meant it. That was all the incentive they needed.

- Aaaaahhh! Let's get outta here! – The four remaining bandits turned around and ran into the deepness of the forest, not without rattling down a couple of times as they were running away in disorder.

- Hmph, cowards. – The young man said, putting his arrow back on the quiver, and turning around to walk towards Zelda. – You OK, miss? -

Zelda took a few seconds to realize he had just spoken to her, as when she finally could take a good look at his face, her heart skipped a beat. He was a very handsome young man, his blonde hair fell in two short fringes on each side of his ample forehead, and that smirk he was giving to her made him look really charming, but the most stunning of all were those dark blue eyes, which sparkled filled with courage and at the same time with an almost palpable kindness.

- Huh? Yes, of course. I thank you for helping me. – She said, trying to hide her impression.

- Sorry you had to see that. – The young man said, looking at the bandit's corpse. – Anyway, what are you doing around here? It's dangerous for a girl to go all alone over here. –

- Hey, I'm not just a girl; I can take care of myself. – Zelda said, his tone had not been completely to her liking, but she immediately apologized. – Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude. I was going to Ordon, and when I found out the road had been blocked it was a bit late to come back where I came from. -

- I see. Well, if you want, I can escort you over there, just for safety. – The young man offered. – Oh, where are my manners? The name's Link, pleased to meet you. –

- I am Zelda. – She replied, but when she realized her slip-up, she tensed for a moment. – "Oh no, you fool, what have you just said?" –

- Zelda, huh? Lovely name. Well, we better not waste any time, let's get going. *Whistle* Epona, come here, girl! –

Zelda saw as Link called his own horse, or rather, mare. A beautiful mare, strong and vigorous. She was sorrel, with white legs, and same-colored mane. Link mounted on her immediately, and gestured Zelda to follow him back to the road, and they both made her way to Ordon.

As they trotted, Zelda was surprised that Link had not reacted when she said her name. Well, maybe he just didn't know anything about the Princess of Hyrule, which was probably a good thing. Even so, she had been careless with that slip-up. She was very lucky this time.

Anyway, they both kept trotting the rest of the way, and Zelda came to enjoy a lot Link's company, the last stretch of the road would be much nicer having somebody to talk to. However, there was something strangely familiar in him, particularly when she looked into his eyes; she had the feeling as though she had met him before.

- "Is it just my idea? I don't understand why, but I feel as though as if I had seen him before…"_ -_

Eventually, she decided to forget it for the time being. Maybe it was just the impression of the moment. Not that it really was important, right?

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

Hehe, OK, one more chapter, and the encounter of Link and Zelda is taken care of. Sorry if I made that little time skip with Zelda's traveling, but I didn't want to make this chapter too long, so as to get to the important stuff.

Well, in advance for the next one, Ilia will show up, and she's scheduled to be the "villainess" of this story (hence the summary). But aside from her, I'm planning on introducing a few more supporting characters, you've already seen Malon, and this won't be the last of her. We'll be seeing a bit of Romani and Cremia, and possibly Marin too. Bye-bye!


	3. Who's that?

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 3: Who's that?**_

_**At the entrance of**__** Ordon Town…**_

Zelda and her newfound friend, Link, were quietly riding across the way to the town of Ordon, chattering a bit to kill time. The Princess had really been impressed when this young man suddenly appeared as though he had been heaven-sent (almost literally) to save her from those bandits. Well, she could have taken care of them, but she was grateful he had saved her the trouble, although it was best not to say a word about it.

Zelda felt somewhat strange about talking to a commoner so casually. Normally, she wouldn't trust people she didn't know, but there was something in Link which inspired a trust she had not felt before in anyone else. Besides, he had gone out of his way to help her even though he didn't know her, and not many people would do that. Among other things, for the first time she was maintaining a friendly conversation with someone else as a normal person, which made her feel good in his company.

She was lucky that Link didn't ask her too many personal questions, beyond her age and where she came from. She just limited herself to say the truth, she was 17 and she had traveled from Hyrule Castle Town for a couple of weeks. She said she needed some contact with the outside world. Of course, she didn't mention at all that she was Princess of Hyrule. He had no idea, and frankly, there was no need for him to know. If she could make a friend as a normal girl just once in her life, the trip would have been worth it.

Then it was Zelda's turn to ask more about Link. He had just turned 18, and he lived with his grandparents and his younger sister. His grandfather was the town's blacksmith, he was known as "Master Smith". Zelda remembered that the royal family real had commissioned many times a blacksmith with that name to forge swords and many other weapons for the soldiers of the castle, which by the way were top-notch. Link worked as his assistant, since his parents had died a few years back. Something moved inside Zelda's heart when she heard that part, her father had died when she was just a baby, so she didn't even get to know him, and her mother had died roughly a year before.

- Well, here we are. – Link suddenly said, bringing Zelda back from her semi-daydreaming state, and she realized that they had arrived to the town. – Go straight ahead over there, and you'll reach the inn in no time. -

- Alright. – Zelda said smiling. – Thank you again for your company, and for helping me back at the woods. -

- Don't mention it. – Link smiled back at her. – Anyway, if you ever need me again, you can find me at my workshop. Later. -

- Hehe, sure, goodbye. – Zelda continued on her own. She didn't quite understand what Link meant by "if you ever need me again", but the idea didn't sound unlikeable at all. – "What am I thinking? I've just met him." -

While Zelda made her way towards the inn, Link made his way back to his home. While the boy had managed to hide it very well, deep inside he had to admit that this lovely young lady he had just met had really made a big impression. She was beautiful, kind and well-educated, although it was evident that she could be strong-willed. Her manner of speaking was not befitting of a common villager, and Link couldn't help but wonder what kind of education she had received.

- "There, get her off your head, she goes her way and you go your way."_ – _No doubt that young lady would have her own business. What were his chances of seeing her again? Not like she would take by heart the last he had said to her, right?

He was so distracted thinking about that he almost walked past his home. His house was a tad larger than most of the houses in town, partly due to the fact it had two sections, the house itself, which had two stories, and an extension which would serve as the blacksmith workshop. There was also a small stable next to it, which would serve as a shelter to Epona, Link's mare. He could see the smoke coming out of the forge's chimney, and he also heard the noise of a hammer, no doubt his grandfather working as hard as ever. Link got off of his mount and left her at the stable, and then went into the workshop.

- I'm home, Grandpa! – Link announced as he entered the workshop, effectively, his grandfather was hammering a sword's blade to shape it into form.

- Uff, you're a couple of minutes late today, son. – He replied. Link's Grandpa was a man probably in his 60's or 70's with a long white beard and a big white moustache. Even so, he boasted a strong complexion, which was no surprise due to his office. He was dressed in green just like his grandson, but instead of a floppy cap, he wore a scarf tied up on his head, used to hide his baldness.

- Hehe, sorry, I had… an unexpected delay. – Link said scratching the back of his head. – You can go rest now; I'll take care of the rest. -

- Good riddance, I needed a rest. Just don't overdo it, OK? -

The Grandpa left the workshop, and went back into the house, while Link occupied himself in shaping the sword's blade. In the few last days they were a bit behind schedule with their works, so Link decided to finish a few by himself so his Grandpa wouldn't have too much to worry about.

The young hylian spent the rest of the afternoon inside the forge, trying to make advances, if just a little, on their pending assignments. He was about to place the sword's blade into the furnace so as to eliminate the impurities when…

- Boo! -

- Aaaah! – Startled by the sudden scream, he dropped the sword's blade, which fell heavily to the ground, barely a millimeter from his foot. He turned around to see a girl about his age, with short, blonde hair, and green eyes, laughing out loud. – Ilia! Good Heavens! How many times have I told you not to do that? –

- Haha, you should have seen your face. Sorry, couldn't resist. I just was stopping by to say hi, that's all. – The girl, whose name was Ilia, only smiled as if nothing had happened, but Link did not smile back, that little joke had not been fun for him.

- Hmph, fine, if you're done already, you may go. – Link said, while picking up the blade and placing it back on the furnace.

- Link, I've been thinking of having a picnic by the lake tomorrow, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. – The girl said, ignoring what Link had just said.

- Did you invite anyone else? – Link asked, not looking at her.

- Of course not. It's to spend some quality time, just the two of us. – The blonde girl said with a slightly flirty tone in the last part.

- Sorry, no can do, I have a lot of work. – Link said without hesitation, he had the answer ready in the tip of his tongue.

- You always seem to have a lot of work. – Ilia replied, with a shred of annoyance in her voice. – At least whenever I come over to ask you out. -

- But it's true. – Link said. – Grandpa's behind schedule with our assignments, and I've gotta help him. -

- Aw, c'mon. One or two days of rest won't make any harm to you. – Ilia insisted. – Too much work and no play will make you go grumpy. -

It was clear for Link that Ilia wouldn't take a "no" for an answer. However, the boy was fully aware of her intentions, and the idea of being all alone with the blonde girl was not at all to his liking. Until some time ago they used to be friends, but now, he tried to avoid her at all costs. The reason? It's really annoying to have somebody following you around and trying to, in a manner of speaking, "obtain" you when you're not interested in said person (**AN:** I know about it ^^). The hard part was, how could he make her understand without hurting her?

- I've said I can't, I have to help Grandpa. – Link said again.

- Is it that you can't, or you don't want? – Ilia asked directly. Seeing that the girl wouldn't give in, Link left for a moment what he was doing to talk to her face to face, with a serious expression.

- Both. Even if I wanted, what I said is true. Grandpa has a lot of pending stuff, and he needs my help. And if you're done talking, I'd be grateful if you let me work in peace. Just as I'm done with this I'll have to make a delivery. –

Ilia stepped back at the iron glare Link was directing at her. As much as she liked him, she had to admit he knew how to intimidate her when he wanted to.

- OK, OK, I'm going, no need to get mad. – She said, placing her hand forward in a defensive gesture, as she walked away, Link went back to his work. Still before going home, Ilia stared at him for a moment, and muttered. – But don't think I'll give up so easily. Someday, you'll have to say yes. -

* * *

><p><em><strong>A couple of hours later<strong>__**, at the other side of town…**_

Despite the directions Link had given her to go to the inn, Zelda decided it was still early and so she went for a walk on the surroundings. At this town, the ambient was much more rural than the others she had visited; there were many farms and people at work in them.

She was so distracted touring around she almost didn't notice it was almost nighttime. She finally went towards the inn Link had pointed her. Leaving her horse parked outside, she entered to ask for a room. However, the innkeeper informed her that all rooms were already occupied or reserved in advance, and she hadn't any free rooms to spare. Zelda wasn't very happy about this, but it wasn't her fault. As she was carrying so much money, she could have easily "persuaded" her so as to get a room, but her sense of morals wouldn't allow her to do that. Too bad, she would have to find another place to stay. She turned around to leave the inn. Outside, she saw again that boy who had helped her before, Link, who was walking towards her, carrying a small pouch.

- Hey, we meet again. – He said, with a smirk.

- I think I'm lucky I found you. – Zelda said. – The inn is full, they have no vacancy. -

- No vacancy? – Link said. – Oh, that's too bad. –

- Don't you know if there's another place where I could stay? – Zelda asked. – To be honest, I don't fancy the idea of sleeping on a bench at the town square. -

- Well, if there's no vacancy at the inn then you'll have a hard time finding another place. – Link said, he then pondered for a moment. – Although,... we have a spare room at my home, maybe… -

- Huh? – Zelda didn't see that coming. – Stay at… your home? -

- My grandparents will understand. Until there's a vacancy at the inn, at least. – Link said. – Of course, it's your choice. -

Zelda wasn't very sure about the offer. It didn't seem prudent to sleep at the home of somebody whom she had just met, but for the look of things, that seemed to be her only choice if she wanted to sleep indoor for that night. And he himself had told her where to find him, if she ever needed him again. Well, not like she had gone looking for him, but she did need of him at the moment.

- Fine, I just hope not to be a nuisance. – She finally said, resigned. She had no other choice, what else could she do?

- Don't worry. – Link replied. – Can you wait for a moment? I have to deliver this to the innkeeper. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, and I think we'll be in time for dinner. –

- That sounds good. I'll wait for you here. – Link entered the inn while Zelda sat on a bench to wait for him.

Not too far from there, a certain girl was looking at the scene, and not with good eyes.

- Hmm, who's that? I don't remember having ever seen her before in town. -

- What are you peeking at, Ilia? –

- Aaahh! – The girl was startled when somebody spoke to her from behind, she looked above her shoulder and saw a red-haired young woman, who looked a lot like the one seen on the previous chapter, but she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, and was accompanied by a seemingly 9-year-old little girl with the same hair color, who looked like her little sister. – Ah, it's you girls. -

- Romani wants to know what are you staring at, Ilia. – The little girl said.

- Knowing you, you're probably stalking Link again, aren't you? – The older girl said, letting out a somewhat mischievous smile.

- Mind your own business, Cremia. – Ilia replied. In that moment, the little girl, whose name was Romani, decided to take a look to see what was going on.

- Hey, Sis, isn't that the same girl who entered the town with Link? – She said upon seeing Zelda.

- Yeah, you're right. – Cremia said.

- Say what? That girl entered the town with Link? – Ilia felt a sting on her chest.

- Romani wonders if she's his new girlfriend, *giggle*. – The little girl said.

- Oh, Ilia, seems you got some competition. – The older sister agreed.

- Hah, yeah, sure. – Ilia said, burrowing her brow. – There's no need to make a fuss over it. –

- Whatever you say. – Cremia said. – We have to deliver the reserve at the milk bar, take care. -

Romani and Cremia kept going their way, while Ilia resumed her position of watching Zelda. About a minute or so later Link came out of the inn, Zelda stood up, both of them exchanged some words and then she grabbed the ropes of her horse and followed Link.

- "Hmm,… where are they going?"_ – _She didn't ponder too much and decided to follow them, from afar.

* * *

><p><em><strong>After a short walk<strong>__**…**_

Link took Zelda back to his home. The night was falling, and the dinner could be smelled from outside, which whet the Princess' appetite, she was feeling hungry already. Zelda went to leave Cloud at the stable, although she was worried he might… get into something with Link's mare.

- Ah, don't worry. It's not their mating period. – Link said trying to ease her fears.

- I'll take your word for it. – Zelda said.

- I hope you'll like Grandma's soup. – Link said as he opened the door. – I'm home! –

- You're finally back, young man. – An elderly, plump lady of small stature, whose gray hair was tied up in a high bun, received him; Zelda deduced that she was his grandmother. – And just in time because we're ready to serve dinner and we were about to sit without you. –

- Ah, about that, Grandma… – Link said, stepping aside so his grandma could see Zelda.

- Hmm? – The venerable old lady saw her grandson had not come alone; he had brought a girl with him. – Well, well, who's this lovely young lady coming with you? –

- She just arrived in town, and she has no place to stay. – Link explained.

- Pleased to meet you, madam. My name is Zelda. – She introduced herself while making a polite reverence. – There was no vacancy at the inn, and your grandson had the gentleness of offering me to stay at your home. Of course, I have no intentions of staying for free; I'll gladly pay for your attentions. -

- Young lady, hospitality is not something you should pay for. – Grandma said, denying with her finger. – You may stay with us as long as you please, we won't charge you for anything. -

- I'm really grateful, madam. -

- Haha, oh please, don't call me "madam". You can call me Grandma, everybody in town does it. – The elderly lady said cheerfully with an ample smile. – Now come in and take a seat, you'll dine with us. -

- Very well… Grandma. – Zelda felt somewhat strange speaking in such a casual manner, although she had to admit it wasn't unpleasant. Link's Grandma seemed to be a very nice old lady, and she was wondering what kind of people would be the rest of his family.

A moment later, Zelda sat at the table along with Link and his family. Aside from the Grandma, there were her husband, and a little 8-year-old girl with blonde hair tied up in two short pigtails, Link's younger sister, Aryll. Grandma served them her special soup. Zelda tasted it, and she really liked it. Not even the best chefs at the castle had prepared something so delicious.

Outside, through the window, Ilia was peeking and listening closely at their talk, but trying not to get noticed. The family seemed to be enjoying their chat, and the sharp green eyes of the blonde teenager didn't let slide the fact that Link and this new girl occasionally glanced at each other. The stranger also had quite… unusually refined manners for talking and eating, and even for laughing when the Grandpa related his anecdotes.

- "This is unconceivable."_ – _Ilia thought, feeling as though she was going to explode. – "He has never invited me to dinner, but he let that new girl in his house just like that. What's up with her?"_ -_

- So when are you getting married? – She suddenly heard Aryll ask out of the blue, causing Link to spit out the water he was drinking at the moment. Ilia almost suffered a cardiac arrest at the same time, but she calmed when she heard Link's response.

- Aryll, what nonsense is that! – Link protested as he stood up, his face was completely red. – I've just met her, it's not like… -

- You shouldn't wait for too long. It would be a lovely perspective to have such a gorgeous young lady like her in the family. – The Grandpa added.

- You too, Grandpa? Ah, sheesh, just leave me alone, OK? – Link decided to retire to avoid being embarrassed anymore, so he picked up his plate. – If you excuse me, I'll go rest, with your permission. -

Link left his plate at the kitchen, and then walked upstairs to his room. Zelda had not yet fully assimilated what had just happened. However, the Grandma seemed to notice by her expression what she was thinking.

- Haha, ignore them, they just love to tease Link. – She said placing her hand on Zelda's shoulder. – Poor boy, he's just too sensitive, he hates when we mention those things. -

- Yeah, just like his father at the same age. – Grandpa chuckled.

- Big brother is really popular with the girls in town. – Aryll said. – I just don't get why he won't decide to have a girlfriend, he always rejects them all. -

- He says, it's because he hasn't found his "ideal girl". – Grandma said. – I still don't understand what he means. –

- "I think I could sympathize with him_._"_ – _Zelda said to herself. It seemed she and Link had something in common, as they both hadn't found their soul mate. Maybe they could get along.

Meanwhile, outside, Ilia still couldn't believe it. Link had invited a perfect stranger to his home, even allowing her to have dinner with him! Well, as well as with the rest of his family, but even so, it was unconceivable that she had never had that pleasure. She had known him since she could remember; he had been her first childhood friend!

- I'll be watching you closely, new girl. You better not to try to rob me of MY Link._ – _The blonde girl said, especially making emphasis on the word "MY", as she walked away from Link's house. No stranger would be invading her turf to steal what was rightfully hers. No sir, no way.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

So, how was it? Couldn't think of anything better to trigger Ilia's jealousy to have a complete stranger to show up from nowhere, and suddenly Link invites her to his house. I supposed my fellow ZeLinkers will be happy that I placed the couple under the same roof early, and they. So, starting from now on, Ilia will try to find the way of giving hell to this "new girl", so stay tuned.

Thanks to **TwilightQueenMidna, Drozan **and** Lolynka **for the reviews. I'll try and get the next one done as soon as possible. And one more thing, I've been told several times about the issue with the dashes and quotation marks. I'll just like to tell you that this is the format I got used to write in, I only use quotation marks for character thoughts, not for spoken dialogues. When I first wrote this story in Spanish, I never received any complaints about the use of dashes, so please bear with me, OK?


	4. New friendships and something else

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 4<strong>__**: New friendships... and something else.**_

_**Link**__**'s house…**_

The dinner continued calmly, even without Link who had decided to retire early due to the comments from his grandpa and sister, which made him feel embarrassed. They spend some time listening to Grandpa's tales, and they were enjoying them so much they didn't notice time was flying by, even after they had finished their meal. It was past 8 pm., so Grandpa took little Aryll to her room to sleep, while Grandma led Zelda to the room she would occupy during her stay at their home.

The room was on the second floor. According to what Grandma told her, that one used to be Link's room while their parents were still alive, after they died Link moved to their room. This room was usually unoccupied, but they still kept it clean and tidy, and every now and then they used it as a guest room for visits.

- I hope you find it comfortable. Goodnight, and have sweet dreams. -

- You too, Grandma. –

Zelda closed the door, took a glance at the room. The bed was quite large, and there was also a dresser with a large mirror for sprucing. There was also an empty closet, where she placed some of the clothing she had brought along. This house could be as humble as Link and his family, but it was their home, and Zelda actually felt comfortable, it had nothing to envy the palace for.

- Uff. Well, time to sleep. – She said with a somnolent voice.

She left her bag on the dresser, and pulled out her sleeping gown to change. She was quite tired for all the activity of that day, so she didn't take too long to fall asleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later<strong>__**, that night…**_

- _Don't cry. A girl as pretty as you shouldn't be sad. -_

- _Eh? -_

_**THROOOOOOOOMMM!**_

The loud noise of a thunder startled Zelda awake from her dream. The girl's heart almost stopped, the thunder had really scared her. A few seconds later she realized something. As she woke up, she didn't quite remember what she was dreaming of, except that she was crying for some reason, but there was a kind voice trying to comfort her. It couldn't be called a nightmare, although she wasn't sure it could be called a sweet dream either. The young woman got off of her bed and looked through the crystal of the window, effectively there was a downpour outside, and even with lightning.

- That was a close one. I'm lucky I didn't sleep outside. – She said.

Before going back to sleep, she decided to go down to the kitchen for a cup of water. Since it was dark, she lit up a candle so as to illuminate the way, she didn't want to give a false step and break her neck when falling downstairs. She carefully opened the door and walked silently so as to not awake anybody in the house. When she came to the stairs, she took a deep breath before walking down, giving each step with utmost care.

She finally arrived to the kitchen. She approached a large jar full of water, and took a cup to serve herself. But as she drank the water, when she turned around she found that somebody else had gotten up as well, and was now staring at her. It was little Aryll, she was dressed in a sky blue pajama with red flowers, and she was barefoot. She seemed to be scared, for the way she was looking at her.

- What's the matter? – Zelda asked. – Can't sleep well? -

- I'm scared of storms. – The little girl replied. – Thunders and lightning give me nightmares. –

- Poor little girl. – Zelda approached her, and kneeled to hug her.

- Please, don't tell Link, or Grandpa, or Grandma. – Aryll said. – I don't want them to think I'm a scaredy cat girl. -

- There's no need to be embarrassed. – Zelda tried to ease her fears, smiling at her. – You know, I used to be very scared of storms too, when I was your age. -

- Really? -

- Yes. In fact… there are times they still scare me a bit. – The young woman nodded. – I'll tell you something, I can keep you company, until you feel at ease. -

- Serious? Thanks so much. – The little girl was really happy. Zelda stood up and holding her hand, she accompanied her back to her room.

Aryll couched herself back into her bed, while Zelda sat on the edge. Zelda glanced at the window for a bit, right when a lightning bolt flashed outside.

- Well, if you wish, we can talk for a bit of anything you like. – Zelda offered her.

- Hmm,… - The little girl thought for a moment, and she finally asked. - Hey, Zelda, what's your family like? -

- My family? - Zelda didn't know what to tell her at that moment. She couldn't say that she was the heiress of Hyrule's royal family. Trying to think about something, she finally decided to tell her something she thought might be enough to satiate the little girl's curiosity, although it was a bit painful to her. – Well… I don't remember my father, he died shortly after I was born. And my mother… she died due to an illness about a year ago. –

- Oh… - Aryll could perceive the sadness in Zelda's voice, as well as her eyes, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. – I'm sorry; I think I shouldn't have asked that. -

- It's OK, don't worry. – Zelda said. – You know, sometimes it can be hard to be an only child. Not having brothers or sisters whom to share with can be really lonesome, and even more when you don't have your parents anymore. -

- Yeah, I know what you mean. – Aryll agreed. Link was the only one who was old enough to remember their parents when they died, so she didn't actually remember them well. – My big brother Link can sometimes be grouchy to me, but I love him very much. He's always watching over me when I need him, just like Grandpa and Grandma. -

- You must be a very united family, right? – Zelda asked.

- Yeah. Although, you know something? Sometimes, I wish I could have a big sister. Especially when I see Romani and Cremia, they're always having fun together. I'm a bit envious. -

- Really? – Zelda smiled in amusement.

- Yep. – In that moment, Aryll got an idea. – Hey, Zelda, would you like to be my big sister? -

- Huh? – The question caught her off-guard.

- At least while you're here. – Aryll continued. – Could you be my big sister, please? -

- Hmm. – Zelda took a while to fully process in her mind what Aryll was asking of her. The idea of having Aryll as a little sister didn't sound bad at all, particularly because she had a very lonely childhood as she was an only child. – Hehe, alright, you win. From now on, we are sisters. -

- Yay! I have a big sister, yay! – Aryll celebrated happily, but Zelda had to *shhhhh* at her so she would lower her voice and not to wake up her grandparents or Link. – Sorry, I got carried away. – The little girl said, covering up her mouth.

Zelda let out a small sigh, and glanced at the window again when another lightning flashed, before looking back at Aryll.

- Rainy days bring back memories to me. – Zelda said. – Whenever there was a storm, I used to run off to hug my mom. She always found the way to make me feel at ease. At night, if I was scared, she always stayed by my side until I felt better and if I had troubles to fall asleep she would tell me stories, very lovely stories. -

- What kind of stories? Those in which the hero battles an evil villain, he rescues the princess, and then they get married and live happily ever after? –

- Hmm… yeah, more or less. –

- I love those stories. – Aryll said. – Sometimes I wish I could be a princess like them. -

- Hehe, hey, being a princess is not as simple as it seems. – Zelda said.

- How do you know that? -

- Eh? Well… so I've heard. – Was all Zelda could say.

- Hmm. – Aryll for a moment seemed not to buy Zelda's response, but then she thought maybe she could be right. – Hey, do you know good stories? Why don't you tell me one before sleeping? Of course, if you don't mind. –

- Of course not. – Zelda replied. – Actually, I brought with me a book full of interesting stories. If you wait for a bit, I can bring it and read one for you. –

- OK, but don't take long. – Aryll said.

Zelda understood with the last part that Aryll didn't want to be all alone, so she hurried back to her room. She looked all over among her stuff until she found the book about the ancient legends and went back to Aryll, and immediately sat on the bed next to her. She lit a couple of candles so as to have better illumination. Aryll came closer to watch the book.

- Aw, I wish I could read it. – The girl barely knew a bit of basic hylian writing, but the writing in the book was more complex and she didn't understand it well.

- Don't worry. It has some illustrations so you can more or less imagine what's going on. Now let's see, hmm… - Zelda searched in the index. – Aha, I think you will like this one. Listen closely. –

- "_A long time ago, before life and spirits existed, before the world would take form, three golden Goddesses descended upon the chaotic land of Hyrule. They were Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. Din, with her powerful flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru, poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the world the spirit of law. And Farore, with her rich soul produced all life forms who would uphold the law in the world. _

_With their task completed__, the three Goddesses departed to the heavens, leaving behind the sacred golden relic, the Triforce..._"

Aryll listened with attention, and she also looked at the illustrations in the book, as she tried to picture in her mind all of that. The little girl's imagination was flying like never before, with this story Zelda was telling her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A couple of hours later<strong>__**…**_

_- "…and so, peace was restored to the kingdom of Hyrule. His destiny fulfilled, the Hero of Time placed the sword back on its pedestal, where it would rest until it was needed again to banish evil. Once again, he was turned back into a child, but only physically. Everything went back as it was before the beginning of his journey. Nobody would remember anything; it was as though nothing had happened in the first place…_

_But he still had that small__ ocarina in his hand. He thought that, maybe, he should return it to its rightful owner. So, he made his way to the castle, where he saw her for the first time…_

_She was there__, peeking through a window at the castle's courtyard, just like in their first encounter. When she sensed his presence, she turned around. Her first expression was that of surprise, she didn't know what to do. But soon, her surprise made way for a great happiness, and with tears of joy pouring out of her eyes, she ran to hug him._

_-__ You came back. –_

_-I promised you we would meet again__. And I'll never break a promise. –_

_Nobody else knew about the dangers and threats these two little children had faced__, having only one another for support. But everything formed a bond which would keep them together eternally, and their legend would survive to be told by future generations._

_FIN." _

- Wow... that was an amazing story. _– _Aryll said when Zelda finished her reading. The story was so exciting she had to make a huge effort in order to not to fall asleep before it had ended. – Hey… did that happen for real, or somebody invented it? -

- Well, they say all legends are based in real facts. – Zelda replied. – Maybe, there's some truth in all of this. –

- Hmm. Hey, don't you think the Hero of Time in this story looks a lot like my brother Link? -

- Do you think so? – Zelda asked.

- Yeah, look. His outfit looks the same, he's blond, and he holds the sword in his left hand. – Aryll observed.

- Now you mention it, you're right. – Zelda admitted, the Hero of Time was dressed in green, was blond and left-handed, just like Link. She hadn't noticed it until Aryll pointed it. – What a coincidence. -

- Hmm, if you were blonde you'd be perfect as the princess of the story. – Aryll said.

- "If only you knew_ …_"_ – _Zelda thought, the little girl had no idea of the magnitude of her words, but she decided to cover it up. – Aw, come on, that's not true. -

- Why not? You're really pretty. – The little girl said. Zelda had been told that she was very beautiful many times, although she never paid much mind to it. However, the innocence and sincerity of the little girl when she said it made her feel strangely well.

- Heh, why thank you. – Zelda said, blushing a bit. She then looked at the window and noticed the storm was already over. They were so absorbed in their reading they had forgotten about it. – Look, the storm is over. -

- I can go back to sleep now. – Aryll said, covering herself with the blankets. – Thanks a lot for reading that story for me, Zelda. -

- It was my pleasure. – The young woman replied. – We could read another one tomorrow if you want. But for now, I'll go back to sleep, I'm so tired. –

- Me too. Good night. –

- Sweet dreams, Aryll. – Before leaving, Zelda kissed Aryll on her forehead. Her mother used to do that to bid her goodnight when she was little. Aryll felt a little strange about the gesture, but then she decided that, if Zelda would be her "foster big sister" from now on, she could get used to it.

Zelda went back to her room. As she went back into her bed to sleep, she pondered a bit on what had happened that day. It was her first night in that town, or in that house, for that matter, but she felt really well, almost as if she was part of that family, of that home. Something she hadn't felt in a long time, since her mother's death.

Lost in her thoughts, and overcome by her tiredness, the young woman slowly closed her eyes and gave herself to the dream.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next day<strong>__**…**_

Zelda was awakened by the loud cockcrow in the morning. As she had stayed awake reading that story with Aryll she found it really annoying, she wanted to sleep a bit more. She first tried to mellow the noise covering up her head with the pillow, but the annoying cuccos didn't cease at all. It seemed they wouldn't stop until everybody had gotten up.

- Ugh… stop it, alright, I'm getting up. - Zelda rubbed her eyes a bit, she wasn't used to get up so early, and it was barely daybreak, probably not past 7 am. She decided to go to the bathroom to wash herself, so she took her stuff, but then she remembered she hadn't asked Link or his family where the bathroom was. Resigned, she walked downstairs, and she was lucky that Grandma was already at the dining room, preparing the table for the breakfast.

- Good morning. – The elderly lady greeted her. – Did you sleep well? -

- Yes, I guess so, although I was awakened by the storm for a bit. – Zelda replied. – Excuse me, Grandma, could you tell me where is the bathroom? -

- The door at the end of the corridor on the left. – Grandma pointed her. – But you'll have to wait until Link comes out; he went in a while ago. –

- Alright, thanks. – Zelda went in the direction she was pointed. When she came in front of the door, effectively, she heard the noises of water, so she waited outside until Link came out.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Zelda almost fainted at the vision before her eyes. Link was only wearing his pants, and had a towel on his shoulders, although that wasn't of much help to hide his well-formed pectorals and his six-pack abs, not to mention his strong arms as well. The fact the boy had his hair a bit wet and messy apparently made the young princess' hormones to become even more frenzy.

- Ah, morning. – Link greeted her as if nothing was happening. – How was your night? -

- Huh? Ah, it was good, very good. – Zelda tried to maintain her composure, dissimulating her expression, and trying not to blush.

- The bathroom's all yours; we'll wait you for breakfast. – Link said, stepping aside so she could enter.

- T-thanks. – Zelda said, as he walked away. She took a couple of seconds to surprise himself staring at Link's bare back, which in her opinion didn't look too bad either. – "But what's wrong with you, Zelda, don't be such a pervert!"_ –_

Zelda finally entered the bathroom to wash herself, trying to shake off of her head those "pervert ideas". Even so, as she was bathing, she couldn't shake the image off of her mind. In her whole life, that was the first time ever she had seen the bare torso of a man, and it was a real sight to see, even when her rational part screamed at her to look somewhere else, she simply couldn't obey that order. No, it wasn't that she couldn't, it was that she didn't WANT to. Link was a very attractive young man, she couldn't deny it, but after all, it wasn't like she had seen many male bodies like that before. According to what she had been taught, normally that could have been considered as an "indecency", so to speak, but since she was at his home, she supposed she had to get used to it.

She spent quite a while in the shower until she finally calmed down, rationalizing that it was the shock of the moment, nothing else. There was nothing to be alarmed of; after all, she was passing through puberty, it was logical to think that seeing a semi-naked young man would cause her such a strong impression, and even more with a physique as Link's.

- "There, it's alright, you do admit he's very handsome, but that's all. Nothing more." – She said to herself while she was drying herself. She combed her hair and got dressed, and then she went to the dining room, where everybody was waiting for her to start breakfast.

- You took your time. – Link said when she sat.

- Sorry about that. – Zelda said.

Once everybody was at the table, they began having their breakfast. Nobody said anything else, until Grandpa broke the silence.

- Hey, Link, did you finish the horseshoes for the mayor's horse? -

- Eh? – Link was distracted, after hearing the question he replied with a bored tone. – Ah, yeah, they're ready. –

- I hope you don't mind delivering them. I need to finish the other works. -

- Aw, c'mon, Grandpa. I can handle them, you deliver the horseshoes. – Link said, but Grandpa denied with his finger.

- Link, remember you are the apprentice. You do as I say, got it? -

- Hmm… yes, sir. – Link said frowning. Zelda noticed Link seemed to be rather uncomfortable, and she didn't understand why, but before she could ask, little Aryll intervened.

- The thing is that big brother doesn't want to see Ilia, right? – Link didn't respond, he just turned his face around, although a slight red tone could be seen in his cheeks.

- What's wrong, son? – Grandma asked. – I thought you two were good friends? -

- Yeah, we WERE friends, but that was before she became a stalker with me. – The blond boy said, he seemed rather annoyed.

- Who is Ilia? – Zelda couldn't help but ask.

- She's the mayor's daughter. – Grandpa answered. – They both used to play together when they were little; I even came to believe she would become part of the family. -

- Grandpa… please don't start again. – Link groaned. He could tolerate to a certain extent when they bothered him about always being alone and not having a girlfriend, but including Ilia, that was a completely different story. Maybe as a kid he would have found the idea of marrying her funny, but after he matured he came to realize she was not the girl for him, for several reasons.

- There, there, son, no need to get mad. – Grandpa said.

They both continued their breakfast. Once they had finished, Zelda went back to her room to pick up some stuff, specifically some rolls of scroll, an inkpot and a quill for writing. When she got out of the house, she found Link outside of the workshop, carrying the back with the horseshoes he had to deliver at the mayor's house.

- You're going out too? – Link asked upon seeing her.

- I'll go to the town's library. I like to be up with my studies. – Zelda said.

- Heh, so you're a studious girl, huh? – Link said smiling. – Can I accompany you? The major's house is on the way. -

- Sure, no problem. – She agreed.

The two young people began walking side by side. The people in town looked at them suspiciously. Well, more specifically, they looked at Link suspiciously, as they found odd to see him walking besides a lovely young lady, since he always was alone. While he enjoyed Zelda's company, he felt rather uncomfortable to be stared at like that. He didn't want anybody to misinterpret the situation; after all, he had known her for a single day. Zelda noticed this, and decided to chat with him to help him forget about it.

- Hey, Link, about you and that Ilia girl, are you two, perchance…? -

- Please don't even think about it. – Link said. – Personally… it's not that I dislike her, but… she's not my type. –

- My apologies, I didn't mean to upset you. – She said. – But I noticed that you were somewhat upset while speaking about it during breakfast. If you don't mind me asking, why is that? –

- Hmm… well, back then, when we were kids, it could be said she was my best friend. We used to hang out, and all, but… but I guess that as we grew older she started wishing for something else than friendship, if you catch my drift. -

- So that means… she likes you. -

- I don't think saying that she likes me would be enough. – Link said. – Problem is… I don't feel the same way, and even though I always let her know that… she's too stubborn to give up. -

Zelda thought for a bit, that Ilia girl wouldn't take a "no" for an answer. She knew how annoying that could be; after all, she had to deal with one or two suitors who even made scenes when she rejected them during the celebrations. Although in her case, it was something temporary, on the other hand, Link had to cope with Ilia every day. Surely enough he probably tried to be nice so as not to hurt her, but if she didn't want to give up, that wouldn't be much of a help.

A few minutes later, they arrived to the mayor's house, which was a tad larger than Link's, and that was saying a lot. Link knocked the door. The mayor, who was a man in his middle 40's, told him that his horse was at the stable, waiting for the new horseshoes, and her daughter was taking care of him. That last part caused Link to frown his mouth and let out a small groan, he'd have to see Ilia face to face, but he still thanked the major and went to the stable behind the house, and Zelda followed. The mayor saw the brown-haired young lady, and wondered who she might be.

Inside the stable, they saw Ilia was grooming the horse, and she seemed to be happy while she was at it, but she became even happier upon seeing Link, and she immediately left the steed to welcome the boy.

- Hehe, hi there, Link, so you came to visit me. -

- Don't get too excited. I just came for my work. – Link replied, making no effort to hide his displeasure.

- Aw, c'mon, don't be mad. Look, my invitation to the lake is still up if you change your mind. – The green-eyed girl said smiling from ear to ear, but her smile vanished, and was replaced by a gesture of disgust when she saw behind Link and noticed who was accompanying him.

- Well, don't distract me, I'll put the shoes on your horse and I'll leave. – Link said, bypassing her and getting ready to hammer the horseshoes on the steed's hooves. Meanwhile, Ilia approached Zelda and looked at her up and down, as if though she was evaluating her.

- "Hmph, well, she's not bad-looking, but not as pretty as I am."_ – _She said to herself. – And you are? -

- My name is Zelda, pleased to meet you. – Zelda introduced herself politely and extended her hand. Ilia only looked at her coldly and replied.

- Ilia. The pleasure's all yours. I don't remember ever seeing you before in town. You're not from around here, are you? –

- No, I barely arrived yesterday. – Zelda replied, trying to be polite even after Ilia's cold response. – I came from Hyrule Castle Town. -

- Why, that's really far from here. – Ilia said, glaring at her inquisitively. – So, what have you come here for, hmm? –

- Well… I needed a small vacation. – Zelda said, she was starting to feel uncomfortable at the way Ilia looked at and talked to her.

- Hmm… I hope you don't have any funny intentions for coming here. -

- Funny intentions? What do you mean by that? -

- Ilia, will you stop annoying her? – Link intervened in Zelda's defense, but still paying attention to his work. – She has traveled a long way and I don't think that's the best welcome you should give her. -

Reluctantly, Ilia obliged, but she was still looking daggers at Zelda. The young Princess didn't say a word, but inside she was wondering what the problem with this country girl was. After a few minutes, Link finally finished nailing the horseshoes in place and left with Zelda, feeling relieved to finally walk away from Ilia. On the other hand, the green-eyed girl stared angrily at Zelda as the couple walked away.

- "Hmph, she plays being a nice and polite girl. You better not try anything funny, or you'll see."_ -_

As they walked, Zelda was pondering on the encounter they just had. From the beginning, it became apparent that Ilia didn't take any liking to her, and she had no qualms about giving her clues on that. She had been taught that appearances could be deceiving, and that first impressions were not necessarily correct, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the way Ilia treated her. Link apparently could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her.

- Don't pay any mind to Ilia. – He said. – She's always been like that. She almost forbids me to have any contact with any girl other than her. -

- Is that so? – Zelda asked. – But it's not like you were her property or something like that. Besides… you and I don't have much time of knowing each other, either. -

- I know, but that's just her. – Link said. – I'm sure the day I try to date a girl, Ilia will try and scare her away. And not even if it was one of the girls in town, whom she counts as her friends. -

- That almost sounds as an obsession. – Zelda said.

- She's just crazy. But who cares about what she thinks, she won't stop me from having female friends. – Link said the last part with a smile, and Zelda by reflex action smiled back at him.

The two of them continued walking for a while, until they came to the town's library entrance. Link said he had to go back to help his grandfather with the works, and asked her if she wanted him to pick her up at lunch time. Zelda said it wasn't necessary; she could go back by herself. They bid their farewells to each other and Zelda entered the library.

- Good morning, can I help you? – The librarian lady greeted her.

- Do you have a copy of the Book of Mudora? – Zelda asked.

- The Book of Mudora? – The librarian seemed surprised, that book in particular was rarely asked for, it was too complicated, generally only scholars could understand it. – Of course, you can find it on the section of Ancient Languages and Runes. -

- Thank you. –

Zelda went towards the shelf the librarian pointed her. Since it was a bit large, she took some time to find it, but she finally laid her finger on it. It was a green book, and it was clear that it hadn't been used in a long time, it was really dusty. Zelda dusted it off and began skimming through it. Once she found the page she was looking for, she walked towards an empty table and took a seat. She took some scroll, the inkpot and the quill for writing. Part of her education included learning the ancient Hylian language, which was necessary for several traditional ceremonies of the royal family. Maybe it could seem boring for many, but Zelda had ability for it and she actually found it very interesting, proof of that was that she had already learned a large portion of it. The Book of Mudora was the only supporting material she could use to learn it since the language had become almost completely lost over the centuries. The royal family possessed a copy they had entrusted to the scribes so as to keep the original manuscript. She was lucky she had found a copy in the library in Ordon Town, as it was hard to find one at that time, and for obvious reasons she couldn't take the one they had in the Castle's library.

She spent about three hours reading the book and writing down her notes. She decided it was enough for that day, so she returned the book to its shelf, and she was about to leave, when she noticed a little red-haired girl, trying to climb up the shelf in the children section. Zelda thought maybe she was trying to take a book by herself without asking for help, but it was out of her reach and thus she was trying to climb up the shelf. There were not many people around, so nobody noticed her until she screamed, as she caused the shelf to tip over with her weight, and it would have crushed her if it wasn't because Zelda reacted in time and stopped it, however she couldn't prevent the books from falling off and end up spread all over the floor.

- What's happening here? – The librarian cried out, running off to see what had happened. She then saw the little girl, and stared at her with displeasure. – Romani, what have I told you about the books on top of the shelves? -

- That I have to ask for an adult's help. – The little girl said, she seemed to be scared, and it was no surprise, considering the glare of the librarian. – But you and my sister are too busy talking and you won't listen to me when I ask. -

- Little miss, more respect to your elders, you could have gotten hurt or something. -

- Don't be so hard to her. – Zelda intervened. – I'm sure she didn't mean to cause any troubles, did you? –

- Hmm... – The librarian's factions softened at Zelda's firm expression. She turned back to Romani. – Romani, consider yourself lucky, thank the Goddesses this kind lady was close to save you. I hope this won't happen again, understood? –

- Understood. -

- Now, if you allow me, I need to clean up this mess. -

- Don't worry, I'll do it. – Zelda said. The librarian was about to say something else, but Zelda interrupted her. – It's alright, take care of your business. -

The librarian finally left. The little girl felt relieved, that woman was scary when she was angry. Zelda kneeled and looked at the girl with compassion.

- It's alright now. – She said. – Even so, the librarian was right, it's too dangerous to do that. -

- Yeah… but … why the adults sometimes ignore us kids? –

- They don't mean to, but sometimes they just don't notice. – Zelda said, as she picked up the books and placed them back into the shelf.

- Hey, wait. – Romani stopped her, she had just grabbed a book with tales for children. – That's the book I was looking for, can I have it? -

- Ah, of course, here. – Zelda handed her the book. The little girl jumped in joy.

- Yay! Ah, too bad I have to wait for my Sis to finish talking to read it. –

- You can't read? -

- Not very good yet. – The little girl said in shyness.

Zelda turned around to see a red-haired young woman talking to the librarian. For what it seemed, they'd probably be chatting for quite a while, and little Romani seemed impatient to read the book.

- You know, I don't have anything to do at the moment, I could read it for you if you want… your name is Romani, right? -

- Yeah, it is. Romani's very grateful to you… sorry, you didn't give me your name. –

- Zelda, pleased to meet you. -

- Thanks very much, Miss Zelda. – The little girl said.

- Just Zelda will do. No formalities, please. – The young woman said.

- OK, Miss… I mean Zelda. -

Zelda let out a giggle. Once she was done in placing the books back on the shelf, she accompanied Romani to an empty table. Zelda looked through the index, asking Romani which story she wanted to read, once she finally found it, she began reading it for her. The little girl listened attentively.

- _"In the land of Hyrule, there echoes a legend. A legend held dearly by the royal family that tells of a boy. A boy who, after battling evil and saving Hyrule, crept away from the land that had made him a legend. Done with the battles he once waged across time, he embarked on a journey. A secret and personal journey. A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend. A friend with whom he parted ways when he finally fulfilled his heroic destiny and took his place among legends..." -_

- Romani, I'm done, now… - The reading was interrupted by Romani's older sister.

- Ah, hi, Cremia. – Romani said.

- My apologies, I hope my little sister didn't cause you any troubles. – Cremia spoke to Zelda.

_- _None at all. – Zelda said, and then when she could take a good look at the girl, she noticed her face was quite familiar. – Excuse me… haven't we met before? -

_- _Hmm, how come? -

- Didn't we meet at Hyrule Castle Town about two weeks ago? – Zelda asked, recalling the girl whom she had helped at that time.

- Hyrule Castle Town? – Cremia asked, thinking for a few moments, and then she snapped her fingers in realization. – Ah, I understand now. So it was you. -

- Huh? – Zelda didn't understand.

- Yeah, I remember now. Our cousin, Malon, traveled to Hyrule Castle Town to sell our milk. – Cremia explained. – She said she had some troubles there, and spoke of this girl who paid for the losses. -

- Oh, I see. Heh, such a small kingdom. – Zelda said. – It's clear you two are related, the likeness is amazing. -

- Yeah, that can be a problem sometimes. Sometimes they mistake us for each other, except that she lets her hair down. – Cremia said, scratching the back of her neck. (**AN: **You see now why I had Cremia tie up her hair in a ponytail. I had to do something to tell her apart from Malon if I was gonna have both of them in the story) - In any case, we're really thankful. If it wasn't for you, we could have lost our ranch. -

- It was nothing, I'm glad I could help. -

- Hey, Zelda. – Romani intervened. – Why don't you come visit us someday? -

- Eh? -

- Our ranch is on the outskirts west of the town. – Cremia said. – If you please, we would love you to come over for dinner. You know, to thank you for what you did for us. -

- Well… I don't know. – Zelda said.

- Come on, don't be shy. – Cremia said.

- Hmm… - Zelda thought for a moment. – Well… I'll think about it. -

- Great. Well, Romani, we have to leave, take your book and let's go. -

- Yeah. – The little girl said, getting off of the chair and grabbing her book. – See you later, Zelda. -

- Goodbye. – Zelda said, waving the sister goodbye.

Zelda looked at the clock on the wall. She thought it was about time for her to leave, it was almost noon, and most likely Link and his family were awaiting her for lunch. She picked up her stuff and placed it back in her bag, ready to take her leave.

It had been a good morning. Well, except for the… not so good start with Ilia, but leaving that aside, she had made a couple of new friends, and all for having done a good deed. She was going to like her stay at Ordon town.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>**:**

Alright, I finished it quickly. In essence, what I wanted here was more or less give an advance on what will be Zelda's relationship to other characters in the course of the story. For the next one you can expect seeing Malon, as in this story, she lives and works in the same ranch as Romani and Cremia, except for the fact that, as you guessed, Malon sometimes leaves town to sell their milk, hence why she was at the Castle Town when Zelda ran into her. As an advance, Malon will have her small influence in the Zelda-Link-Ilia triangle, you'll eventually see what I mean.

As usual, thanks **tofted titmouse, TwilightQueenMidna, lv1s **and **Lord Halcyon **for the reviews. The next one might be finished in a couple of days. Until then, see ya.


	5. A day at Lon Lon Ranch

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>C<strong>__**hapter 5: A Day at Lon Lon Ranch.**_

_**In the woods surrounding**__** Ordon…**_

- OK… I've almost gotcha. -

A wild boar was approaching the river to drink some water. Hidden behind a bush, Link was awaiting the right moment, with his bow ready. Holding his breath and trying not to touch anything which could cause noise and alert the animal, the young Hylian drew an arrow from his quiver, and prepared to shoot. Carefully, he tensed the bow and took aim, as the fanged beast approached to drink water.

_**WHOOSH! **__**THOK!**_

- CUIIIIIII! – The wild boar let out a shriek in pain, and a second later it slumped on the ground. Link got out of his hideout and approached cautiously. He examined his prey; the arrow had hit directly on the right side of its throat. Upon checking it out, Link pulled out some ropes out of the pouch he was carrying and tied up its legs. It was a middle-sized boar, so it wouldn't be too much of a trouble to carry it all the way back to town.

- OK, this gives us fresh bacon for an entire month. – She said happily, carrying his prey on his shoulders. He shook a bit under the weight, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Even though his formal job was at the town's smithy, Link occasionally would use his free time to go hunting at the woods, it was never a bad idea to have some additional fresh meat. And since they now had a guest at his home, maybe now he'd have to do it more often. Of course, Link was not fond of hunting for sport; he always took only what he needed, so that nature could roll on.

His task completed, the young man walked back to his home.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At <strong>__**Link's home…**_

- … and then I said: if it hurts, don't do it! – Aryll said, talking to Zelda, as both of them were sitting on the living room's couches. Meanwhile, Grandma was sweeping around the place while humming a song, and Grandpa's hammer could be heard at the workshop outside.

- Hahahaha. – Zelda laughed, Aryll apparently was telling him some joke or something like that. – And what happened then? -

Two weeks had passed since Zelda had arrived. There was vacancy at the town's inn, but when Zelda spoke about going to stay there, arguing that "she didn't want to be a burden to them", Grandma insisted that she should stay with them. A bit reluctant, Zelda accepted on the condition that they would allow her to help on any house work she could, as she planned on staying a few months in Ordon. In any case, she had come to be very fond of the family in these two weeks, and they had seemed to have taken a liking for her as well.

- I'm home! – Link said as he entered the house, bringing his prey of the day on his shoulders.

- Ah, hi, big brother. – Aryll said. – Wow, that's a big boar you brought. –

- "He's really strong." – Zelda thought as she saw the boar's size, but as it was expected, Link was so tired he couldn't carry it anymore, so he dropped it and dragged it the rest of the way to the kitchen. An instant later he came back, and dropped himself on the couch, next to Zelda and Aryll, he was totally worn out.

- Uff, that was a heavy boar. – The young man said. – Well... after I rest for a bit, I'll go help Grandpa. -

- About that, Link, your grandfather said he wants you to take off the weekend for rest. – Grandma said.

- Eh? How come? There's still a lot to do. – Link replied.

- You've been working too hard all the week. It's nice that you wanna help him, but you need to spare time for yourself, don't you? –

- But, Grandma… -

- No buts, young man. – Grandma replied, this time in a slightly severe tone.

Link sighed in resignation. He was a very hard-working young man, although sometimes he could take it too seriously, which made his family worry as sometimes he used to forget sparing some time for himself. It was nice that he worked hard, but not THAT hard.

- Besides, you could use the time to take Zelda to get to know more of the town's surroundings, don't you think? – Grandma asked, without looking at him, but laughing inside.

- Eh? – Link opened his eyes wide; he thought he had misheard her. – Wait a moment, me? –

- Yeah, who else? – Grandma said. – You'd both could leave the routine, for a change. -

Leave the routine. Grandma knew exactly what she was talking about. Link had spent the past two weeks locked up in the workshop helping his Grandpa as much as he could, and the little time he wasn't in there he went off to the woods to go hunting. On her side, Zelda went every morning to the town's library, and came back at lunch time, spending the afternoons at Link's home, and since he was always busy, she had not much to do other than chatting or playing around with little Aryll, and while she enjoyed it, it wouldn't be a bad thing to do something else, for a change.

- Hmm… well, if I must. – Link said. – I think I could stop by at Lon Lon Ranch. And since Grandma suggested it… Zelda, wanna come along? -

- Huh? -

- At the ranch there's a lot of space for the horses to run around. Maybe your Cloud wants to get out of that stable; he's been quite a while in there. Also, Malon and Cremia love organizing horse races over there, maybe they'd like that. -

Zelda recalled the names. Cremia was the girl she had met at the town's library the other day, older sister of little Romani, and according to what she had said, Malon was her cousin, the girl she had helped at the Castle Town a month or so ago. They even had invited her to come over for dinner, although she hadn't had the chance yet. Maybe now it was a good time, it wouldn't be polite to disdain her invitation.

- That sounds good. – Zelda admitted.

- May I come too? – Aryll intervened.

- Eh? – Link turned to see his sister, who was staring at him with sad puppy eyes, the boy frowned a bit, but he nodded after a few seconds. – Ah, alright, you may come, but don't go making that face on me, OK? -

- What face? I only have this face – The little girl giggled.

- Aryll, you know what I mean. – Link chided. It was annoying when his little sister did that.

- Aw, c'mon, don't get mad. -

Zelda covered up her mouth to hold a giggle. Those siblings had a very close bond.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Meanwhile<strong>__**, at the Mayor's house…**_

Ilia and her father, Mayor Bo, had just finished their dinner, and the girl was at the kitchen washing up the dishes, with a grimace on her face. She was thinking about the past two weeks.

She had been following the trail of that Zelda girl, watching closely her movements, even to the point of listening to the conversations at Link's house, of course being careful not to get caught in the middle of her prying. At first, she was somewhat reassured that this Zelda girl would only be around for a few days, and then would take her leave, but as she kept eavesdropping, it turned out that this girl was planning on staying a few months in town. When she had arrived, the inn was full, and it was logical to think that, once there was vacancy she would leave Link's house.

- But she's still there… - The blonde girl spoke to herself. – How can that be? -

She couldn't believe it. This new girl had shown up from nowhere, and Link offered her his home to stay, just like that. It was true that Link and his family used to be very welcoming to foreigners, although they never went too far. She didn't understand how come he had invited that girl so easily. Maybe she was bribing them or something?

- Ilia… I think that place is clean already. -

- Eh? – The girl came back from being lost in thought, realizing that by rubbing so much the plate she was beginning to remove the luster. – Ah, sorry, Dad. -

- Are you OK? You've been distracted lately, is anything wrong? -

- No, nothing, I'm fine. – The girl lied.

- You sure? – Bo didn't seem to buy it, he knew her daughter enough so as to tell when something was on her mind. Something was disturbing her.

- … nothing you should worry about. – She finally admitted partially. – Honest. -

- Alright, if you say so. – Bo said. There was no point in trying to argue with Ilia, she wouldn't give in. Better let her take care of her business.

The girl went back to her cleaning, when her father left her wry face returned. Once again her mind focused on one thing: the invader. This invader had raided forbidden territory, HER territory, and that was not good. Not good at all.

- "I don't know what's that new girl up to, but she better don't try anything funny with MY Link." – She thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next day<strong>__**…**_

Halfway in the morning, two equestrian figures were trotting through the boundaries of the woods west of Ordon. As they approached open field, it became clear that they were Zelda, riding on Cloud, and Link, who was on Epona. Sitting in front of the latter was little Aryll, holding tightly Epona's saddle, while her brother held her waist with a hand, and held the mare's ropes with the other.

- Link, when can I ride Epona by myself? – The little girl asked.

- When you're old enough. – Her brother answered.

- Aw, no fair, you always say the same thing. – Aryll said, frowning and puffing up her cheeks. – Cremia allows Romani to ride, why won't you let me? -

- Because it's not as easy as it seems. – Link said.

- But Romani's not much older than me, and she can ride. – Aryll said.

- Will you stop annoying me with that? –

Zelda felt somewhat excluded of the conversation, but she thought it wouldn't be a good idea to intervene, so she just listened. She could understand Link's attitude, he was Aryll's older brother and he was just trying to look after her. Link had already told her that Epona was a wild mare and she had not been easy to tame, she wouldn't allow just anybody to ride her. In fact, a few days before Zelda almost received a kick when she went to see Cloud at the stable; fortunately Link came over to calm down the mare before somebody got injured. Zelda was a good rider, but she was used to more docile horses.

- Hey, look over there. – Zelda said interrupting the argument between the siblings, as she pointed to the front. They had left the forest and now they were on a grove, where a hill could be seen ahead. On top of the hill there was a fenced structure, whose entrance gate was half-open.

- Eh? Ah, that's the ranch. – Link said. – C'mon, Epona, let's go. -

- Follow her, Cloud. – Zelda said, snapping the ropes of her steed.

As they approached the entrance, they saw a red-haired girl exiting the corral, carrying on each hand a bucket full of milk, they seemed quite heavy.

- Hey, need some help with that, Malon? – Link called out to get her attention as he dismounted; the girl turned around as she saw him, and became notably happy.

- Hi, Link, long time. – The redhead greeted him with a smile, as she left her load for a moment on the ground to hug him.

- Hey, what about me? – Aryll asked, as she saw Malon was "hogging" her brother.

- Aryll, how are you? – Malon said, as she helped her get off the mount. – You missed me? -

- Yeah, a bit. – The little girl replied, hugging her. – You promised me you'd teach me how to ride a horse when you came back, remember? -

- Hahaha, of course, yeah. – Malon said, and at that moment she noticed that Link and Aryll were accompanied by someone else, who had still not gotten off of her mount. – You... you are... -

- Ah, Malon, I'd like you to meet... -

- We had met before, actually. – Zelda interrupted, as she got off of Cloud. – I apologize; we didn't properly introduce each other. My name is Zelda, nice to see you again. -

- Same here. – Malon said, between surprised and happy to see again her benefactor. – Thanks a lot for helping us; we're in your debt, really. -

- Eh? – Link didn't understand. – What are you talking about, Malon? -

- It was about a month ago, when I went to Hyrule Castle Town. – Malon said. – I had... a small problem over there, and your friend Zelda saved me. If it wasn't for her we wouldn't have paid our debts, she saved us from losing our ranch. -

- Are you serious? – Link said, turning to see Zelda, astounded at what he just had heard.

- Yeah, I'm serious. – Malon affirmed. – Because of an old fat lady I lost almost my milk, but Zelda here came over and paid for it, just like that. -

- Hey, it's not bid deal. – Zelda stated, trying to hide her blushing face. – I just... -

- Well, well, you must have plenty of money to be able to pay those debts. – Link said, still surprised. – That was generous from you. -

Zelda turned around trying to hide her blush. All she managed to mutter was a "thanks", while playing with her fingertips. Zelda's uncomfortable expression didn't go unnoticed by Malon, it was clear that the young woman felt really embarrassed at the fact of being exposed for her good deed.

- Sorry, did I say something I shouldn't? – Malon asked.

- Eh, no, of course not. – Zelda said, trying to pretend nothing had happened. – It's just… I never thought I would touch upon that issue again, that's all. -

- Ah… well, if you say so. – Malon said, although inside she wondered why Zelda reacted like that.

- Well, enough chit-chat for now. – Link said. – Malon, you owe me a horse race, remember? -

- I want in! – Aryll suddenly popped out, after being practically excluded from the three teenagers' conversation.

- No way, little miss, you're still too young for that. – Her older brother said, denying with his finger.

- Aw, no fair! – Aryll said, puffing up her cheeks again.

- Hehehe, of my. – Malon giggled. – Hey, Aryll, why don't you go to the barn? Maybe Romani wants you to help her feed the cows. -

- Good idea. And maybe she will teach me how to ride, unlike someone else. – Aryll said as she ran off into the ranch, not before glaring at her older brother, who just scratched the back of his neck.

Moments later, after Malon was done carrying her milk and poured it into bottles which she kept into the storage room, she took Link and Zelda to the horses' corral. The area was fenced, but they had enough space to run around. Zelda approached to see them better. There were many beautiful horses, among foals and adult steeds. Around the corral there was an oval path which most likely served as a race track. Malon opened the gate and closed it immediately after entering to prevent them from escaping. She approached one of the horses, a dark brown steed with a white mark on the forehead, with a black mane. She put the saddle and rode him, guiding him back to the gate.

- Link, please open the door for me. Don't let the others get out. – Malon requested.

Link nodded, he approached the door, and quickly opened it to allow Malon to get out, quickly closing it so as to none of the other horses escaped.

- Hey, Zelda, how about a race with me? – Malon asked.

- Huh? Me? -

- You seem to have a fairly strong horse. Maybe a race could be a good way to prove how healthy he is. -

- Go ahead, it's fun. – Link said.

- Hmm… sure, why not? – Zelda finally said. She had ridden horses for a long time, although she had never been in a race. Then again, maybe now it was a good time to try it, so she mounted on Cloud again, and followed Malon to the starting line.

The two girls took their positions. Link decided to give them start. The rules were simple. Three laps around the corral without walking off the track, the first one who completed them would win.

- Ready girls? GO! – Link yelled as he threw a Deku nut to the ground, the pop gave them the signal to start the race.

Both girls snapped the ropes of their horses to make them at a gallop. They were pretty much even, but as they approached the first curve, Zelda took it through the inner side, gaining some advantage, however Malon managed to follow her closely. Zelda tried to speed up as she entered the straight line, trying to get a larger advantage. She managed to get about two bodies of distance from Malon, who immediately urged her steed to speed up so as to not to stay behind. They entered the second curve, but in the turn Zelda lost some speed, and Malon began pressing her from the outside, approaching slowly but surely, and shortly before they reached the starting line, she managed to overtake Zelda.

First lap was over, and Malon was in the lead. She managed to get two and a half bodies of distance as they reached the curve again. Zelda managed to shorten the distance from the outside, but she was unable to catch up. Far from getting discouraged, Zelda snapped the ropes to have Cloud speed up. They both were neck to neck, and exchanged looks.

- You're good. – Zelda said smiling.

- You're not too bad either. – Malon replied.

They were evenly matched, head to head, nose to nose. As they entered the second curve, Zelda managed to take it on the inside gaining a few seconds, and she urged her horse to keep going faster. She managed to gain a huge advantage over Malon as she completed the second lap, and she kept running as fast as she could. Malon stayed behind her, but still following her closely. As they took the curve, Zelda tried to go faster, but Malon managed to keep up. On the straight line, she urged him to go faster, and she managed to get one more body of distance with Malon. However, as they reached the curve Cloud's stamina began to falter, and he diminished the march. Malon noticed this, and she charged at full speed on the outside as they took the final curve. They entered the final straight line, Zelda tried to speed up, but Cloud was tired and he barely could run, Malon attacked at full force from behind, and she managed to get her horse make a speed burst which helped her in overtaking Zelda, crossing the finish line about four seconds before. Zelda made Cloud stop once she crossed, it was clear he became really tired with the race, she had never pushed him that hard before.

- Uff, that was… fun. – Zelda said, as she felt her adrenaline going back down to its normal levels.

- You were great, you almost beat me. – Malon congratulated her.

- No way, you're much better of a rider than me. – Zelda replied with modesty. – This is the first time I have Cloud run like that. -

- Not bad for the first time. – Malon admitted. – You just need some practice, so as to know when to speed up and when to slow down, that way your horse won't get tired when running. -

- I'll keep it in mind. -

- Nice race, girls. – Link said, as he approached with Epona. – OK, Malon, I guess now is my turn, right? -

- Wait a moment, Link, we've just finished the race, give us a break. – Malon said.

- Well, while you're resting, mind if I try the obstacle course? – The boy asked.

- Hmm… that's not a bad idea. – Malon said. – See if you can make a better time. -

Link and Malon went towards a storage room at the other side of the corral, Zelda dismounted from Cloud to rest after the race. A few minutes later, she saw Link and Malon approaching with some hurdles, which they placed closely along the track. While they were at it, she could see they were talking to each other, and Malon occasionally laughed when Link made some comments.

- "They seem to get along very well." – The Princess thought. Suddenly, she felt a twinge in her chest, for no apparent reason. – "What was that sensation?" -

She didn't have too much time to think about it; when Link and Malon finished placing the hurdles, Link took Epona to the starting line. Zelda followed Malon, who pulled out a pocket watch to take the time. But before that she turned to see Zelda.

- Hey, Zelda, wanna make a little bet? -

- A bet? -

- Something small. – Malon said. - 50 rupees that Link can make a complete lap in less than two minutes. -

- Tsk, that's impossible. – Zelda said, she didn't believe it.

- You think so? – Malon replied. – You know, Epona was born and grew up in this ranch, and we haven't raised a horse faster than her. I know because I took care of her since she was a foal. -

- In that case, I accept your bet. – Zelda said as she drew 50 rupees from her bag. Malon didn't bother doing the same, she was sure she wouldn't need them. The redhead turned back to see Link, who was ready to start.

- Are you ready? – Malon asked. - GO! -

At Malon's signal, Epona began galloping. The first hurdles were low, so the mare could gain impulse to leap over the next ones which were higher. As she advanced, they were higher. Zelda didn't really believe Link and Epona would be able to complete the race in that time. Malon kept tabs of the seconds on the watch. Zelda seemed to be at ease, at first, but she began reconsidering when she completed half the lap in 54 seconds. The mare leaped over the hurdles with great skill. And she didn't slow down at all; instead, she seemed to be speeding up as she advanced. She completed the lap, in 1 minute and 49 seconds!

- Wow. – Zelda said. – I had never seen a horse running that fast. -

- Told you. – Malon said. – Epona is the best when it comes to racing. Of course, she also has a good rider. -

- I don't doubt it. – Zelda had to admit it. – Well, you win. Here you are. -

- Hehe, hey, I was just kidding. – Malon said, refusing them. – I cannot accept them after you paid our debts. -

- But a deal is a deal. -

- Zelda, which part of "I was just kidding" you didn't get? I know money is not a problem for you, but not for that I would take advantage of your good will. –

- Well… if you say so. – Zelda said, putting back the rupees in her bag. Right then Link approached them.

- So? How did I do it? -

- 1 minute and 49 seconds. Not bad, two seconds better than the last time. – Malon said.

- Whoo, I didn't think I'd make it. -

- Malon! – A voice called out from the window on the upper floor of the house, it was Cremia. – Lunch is ready! But what am I seeing, we have guests. – She said upon seeing Link and Zelda.

- Hey Cremia! – Link greeted her. – How have you been? -

- I've been fine. And I see somebody decided to finally accept our invitation. – Cremia said, looking at Zelda. – We were waiting for you. -

- I thought it would be impolite to refuse it. – Zelda replied.

- Lucky for me I prepared a lot. I'll serve for five then, Malon, got tell Romani to come, please. -

- Make it six, my sister came along too, she's with Romani. – Link said.

- Alright, I'll go prepare the table. – Cremia closed the window and went back into the house.

- Shall we have lunch before going back to race? – Malon asked.

- That sounds good to me. – Link said. – All of this whets my appetite. -

- Me too. – Zelda said.

Link and Zelda left the horses inside the corral, while Malon went to fetch Aryll and Romani for their lunch.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At sunset time<strong>__**…**_

All that racing left both the horses and their riders exhausted. Zelda helped Malon in taking the steeds to the stable so they could rest. Cremia and Romani were called out for dinner, so Malon asked Zelda to go fetch Link. Meanwhile, the ranch girls would take care of preparing the guest room for them so they could sleep comfortably for the night.

The young blond Hylian was resting on the barn's rooftop, looking at the sky. The sun was already setting behind the mountains, and some stars could be seen in the sky.

- Link, they're calling us for dinner! – Zelda called out from below.

- I'm in no hurry. – Link replied. - Hey, Zelda, how about you come up here for a bit? The sight's incredible. –

- Link, we shouldn't be making Malon and the others wait. – Zelda argued, placing her hands on her hips.

- Aw, come on, they won't be mad if we're a minutes late. – Link said. – Come here, it's worth it. -

Zelda frowned letting out a small groan, but after a short while she thought "who cares". She grabbed a nearby step-ladder and placed it to climb up to the barn's rooftop. She had to struggle with the impulse of looking down so as to avoid falling off, and when she climbed up, she felt somewhat dizzy due to the height. But she was there already. Letting out a sigh in relief, she crawled towards Link and sat next to him, to watch the sunset.

- What do you think? – Link said.

- Wow… it's… beautiful. – Zelda said upon seeing it. It was really a sight to see, the sun, as it hid behind the mountains, was bathing them with a slight shade of red in contrast with the green the mountains had during the day, the way the last sunbeams of the day spread was something really beautiful. – The loveliest sunset I've ever seen. -

- You can always watch the best sunsets from here. – Link said. – I remember when I was a kid; every time I came here, I often liked climbing up here to wait for the sunset. Hehe, problem was, I never thought ahead on how I would go back down. -

- Is that so? – Zelda let out a giggle.

- Yeah. – Link admitted with a little embarrassment. – Grandpa always scolded me for it. But still… just for the sake of watching the sunset from here, it was worth dealing with his lectures. And later, at night… -

- At night…? -

- I liked playing with the starts. -

- How can you play with the stars? – Zelda asked, what he had just said made no sense at all for her.

- In many ways, actually. – Link said. – You can try counting them all, try and find the brightest ones, or line them up together to discover the constellations on the sky… or even choose one for yourself. Look over there. -

Link pointed upwards, and Zelda looked in that direction. She noticed a star which looked slightly larger than the others and was blinking nonstop.

- That used to be my parents' favorite star. – Link said. – It eventually became mine as well. -

- It's quite beautiful. – Zelda said, smiling.

The two teenagers remained silent for a moment, as they turned their sights back on the setting sun on the horizon. Link was right, dinner could wait a bit, it was worth staying a little longer just to watch the sunset.

- Why do you like sunsets so much? – Zelda asked with interest.

- They bring back memories… from when my parents were still alive. -

- Oh… - Zelda's smile vanished due to the nostalgic tone in Link's voice.

- Northeast of Ordon there's a high hill. – Link continued. – It's quite far, and it's hard to get to the top. Took us all day to make it. But when we arrived, the sunset we saw was so beautiful, I forgot how hard the trip had been. -

- Oh my. – Zelda said.

- Dad loved taking us all weekends. – Link said. – When Aryll was born, I hoped we could take her along too, so all four of us could go together… but then… -

- There's no need to tell me that. – Zelda said, she knew exactly what he was about to say. Link turned to see her, she stared at him with compassion, it was clear by the look on her eyes that she felt his pain. – So… what happened? Didn't you take her by yourself? -

- Hmm, I hoped I would, but... – Link stopped for a moment. – I don't know. Since Mom and Dad died I haven't had the courage to return to that place. I feel like… I don't know, like it would make me miss them even more. -

Zelda said nothing, but she perfectly understood how Link was feeling. He missed his parents, as much as she missed her own.

- Sorry, you must be getting bored with this. – Link said, upon noticing the girl's silence.

- No, of course not. – She said.

- Hmm, well, we shouldn't talk about sad things. – Link said, going back to his usual smile. – How about you tell me something about yourself? -

- Eh? Me? -

- Of course. I've already told you something about me, now's your turn. – Link said. – Friends share their stories, don't they? -

- Friends? – Zelda repeated that single word, which echoed in her mind. Link had not known her for too long, but he evidently considered her his friend. Enough so as to share with her a special memory like that, if a little painful one. Couldn't she do the same?

- What's wrong? – Link asked, upon seeing her expression. – Is it that you don't consider me your friend? -

- No! I mean yes! I mean… what I mean to say is… oh Goddesses! – Zelda became a bunch of nerves.

- Zelda? -

- Forgive me, Link. – Zelda said, once she finally calmed down. – Of course I do consider you my friend. It's just that… I feel a bit strange. This is the first time somebody shares that kind of memory with me. -

- Really? -

- Yes. Truth to be told… I never… I never had many friends my own age. – Zelda answered, her voice sounded somewhat broken. – I never had anyone who shared their experiences with me the way you're doing it now. This… is something new for me. -

- I see. – Link said. – I could tell you've lived locked up in your home for a mighty long time, am I right? –

- Yes. All I've learned about the outside world comes from my booksmarts. – She said.

- Well, we can change that now. – Link said, approaching her. – I can show you everything out there if you want. Or at least, everything in the surroundings of Ordon. -

- Link? – Zelda felt her cheeks flaring up, Link was holding her hand. Her heartbeat sped up as well.

- Listen, at least while you're here, try and forget about the past, and live the moment. – Link said. – That way, you'll always have precious memories in your heart. Also, so we both are clear, even though we might part ways in the future, we'll always be friends, got it? -

A great amount of sensations were blending inside Zelda. She didn't know what to think, what to say. But something was for sure, those words Link had just said had touched the deepest part of the young princess' heart. They made her feel really happy, like never before, and she turned around to hide a small tear coming out of her eye.

- Zelda? -

- I'm sorry, I have something in my eye. – She said as a pretext. – Link… what you have just said, I… thank you. –

In a blink, without thinking she embraced him, Link took a moment to assimilate it, but he finally smiled and hugged her back. Part of Zelda said that this wasn't right, it wasn't proper for a princess to get so close to a commoner. Most likely the Prime Minister would order Link to be jailed up, or something worse, if he saw them. But that didn't matter, he was not there after all. Being in Link's arms was warm, comforting, and she had no intention of leaving that sensation, at least not for the moment.

- Get back here, you feathery beasts! -

- Eh? – Link and Zelda ceased their embrace when they heard Romani's voice screaming, in the middle of a bunch of clucking. When they looked, they noticed what was going on, the little redhead, along with Aryll, were both chasing around three cuccos who had escaped the barn, and now they were trying to get them back, using bug-catching nets to aid themselves.

- No! Stop it! No! – The cuccos charged to peck them, the poor Little girls had no choice but to cover themselves, once they ended their fierce assault, they split up, one of them flew and stopped by the step-ladder near the barn, Romani didn't ponder too much and raised her net to catch it, but she missed and if that wasn't enough, a piece of the net became tangled in a protruding spike, and just as the little girl turned around and tried to chase it again, she dragged along the step-ladder… and Link and Zelda were still on the rooftop.

- Oh, no, the ladder! – Zelda cried out. - Romani, the ladder! -

- Sorry, once I catch those stupid birds I'll put it back! – The little girl answered before running of after the cucco, while Aryll tried to chase another one. – Get back here! -

- Romani! – Zelda called out again.

- Ah, let them be, I'll take care of this. – Link said, sliding down the rooftop towards the edge.

- What are you doing? – Zelda asked, when she saw he was trying to climb down to drop off the edge.

- Easy now, I've done this before. – The boy just said, letting go off the edge and landing on the ground safely.

He immediately picked up the ladder and put it back so Zelda could come back down. The girl hesitated for a moment but she finally decided to get down, so she carefully placed herself in position and put her feet on the ladder, but in that very moment, Romani and Aryll were coming back chasing one of the cuccos, which had the bright idea of running around Link's legs, and the little girls in their attempt to catch it began running around the boy's legs, causing him to lose his balance and by extension drop the ladder, which fell off to a side, Zelda had not fully placed herself well so when the ladder fell off, she ended up having to get a hold of the edge, her legs hanging in the air. She tried to climb back up to the rooftop, but her fingers slipped off and she irremediably fell down.

- AAAAAAHHH! -

_**SLAM! **_The fall was unavoidable, fortunately below her there was something, or rather, SOMEONE, in a good position to cushion her fall.

- Ouch... that hurt... – Zelda said, opening her eyes and looking around. - Link? Link, where are you? -

- Right under you… - The boy's voice answered, he sounded as though he had lost all his air. Zelda rose, and upon looking to her side, effectively, she realized she was sitting on Link's stomach, the boy had cushioned her fall preventing her from getting hurt, put apparently he was the one who took the blow. Next to them, the two little girls were staring at the scene with curiosity, they apparently had forgotten for a moment about the cucco they were chasing around. Zelda took a few seconds to realize that she and Link were in quite a compromising position, and when she saw the faces of Aryll and Romani, she finally understood and reacted.

- Oh, for the Goddesses, forgive me. – Zelda said, standing up and helping Link get back on his feet. – Did I hurt you? -

- Nah, just lost my air for a bit, nothing serious. – Link said, once he caught back his breath.

- Uff, I'm really sorry. – Zelda apologized again.

- *Giggle*, nice catch, big brother. – Aryll said, winking at him with mischief, Romani giggled as well.

- Shut up. – The boy replied, visibly annoyed by the comment.

- What's going on here? – Cremia suddenly came, accompanied by Malon. – We heard a scream, is everything OK? -

- Yeah, everything OK, sis. – Romani said, before either Link or Zelda could say anything. – Zelda fell off the rooftop, but Link caught her. -

- I didn't catch her, just served for a cushion. – Link corrected. – But I'm glad I was at the right place, at the right moment. –

- Wait up; can you explain me what's happening? – Cremia asked.

- Hum, Cremia, the thing is… some cuccos got away, and well, when we tried to catch them, Link was holding the step-ladder to help Zelda come back down, and then we... hmm, hmm! – Romani silenced her before she could continue.

- They don't need to know the full story. – Romani said, with a feigned smile, hoping that her sister didn't deduce what had happened, but it was late. Cremia seemed angry, and crossing her arms looked severely at her little sister.

- Romani, you should be more careful. – She said in a soft, yet firm, voice. Romani lowered her head in shame. She felt almost like crying, her sister seemed ready to punish her.

- Sorry, I didn't want to cause any trouble. – She said, sniffling. Romani never meant to cause troubles, she just tried to help with the duties in the ranch, but of course being so little, it was normal that she made mistakes very now and then. Her sad face made Cremia have mercy with her, so she decided to let it slide, just this once.

- *Sigh*, alright, please don't cry, but I hope this doesn't happen again. – Cremia finally said. – I'll take care of the cuccos. Now, you're going to bed, time to sleep. -

- But… -

- No buts, little miss, it's time for you to go to bed. – Cremia said, pointing at the house, Romani said nothing, but she seemed annoyed as she entered the house. – You too, Aryll, you'll sleep in Romani's room, go with her. –

- OK. – Aryll said, a bit upset as well, but she followed Romani back into the house.

- Meanwhile, you two come in to eat. – Cremia said, talking to Link and Zelda. – Your dinner's getting cold. -

- Hehe, good idea. – Zelda admitted. – With all this I almost forgot how hungry I was. -

* * *

><p><em><strong>After dinner<strong>__**…**_

The four teenagers had a good time to enjoy themselves after dinner, chatting, sharing anecdotes and some occasional jokes. While Zelda didn't participate too much, as she really didn't have much to say (or rather, she didn't want), she found very enjoyable to spend some time with people her age, for a change. It was hard to live locked up in that castle, without a single friend to chat.

They were having so much fun they didn't realize the time until it was very late, so they finally decided to go to sleep. Cremia went to check on her little sister's room, and she had a large surprise upon finding a huge mess of feathers all over the place. Apparently, the two girls had gotten into a pillow fight and that had been the result. There's no need to describe the lecture Aryll and Romani received for not going to sleep when they were told, not to mention the mess they made. Meanwhile, Malon took Link and Zelda to the guest room.

- I hope you don't mind, we have only one bed. – Malon said.

- If she doesn't have any problems with me. – Link said looking at Zelda. As for her, she didn't feel quite comfortable about the idea of sharing the bed with a man, and judging by her expression, she was clearly embarrassed. – Well, if you do mind, I can go sleep at the living room couch. -

- But Link, you're our guest. – Malon said.

- I… - Zelda was trying to gather up courage. It was just one night. Only that single night. They weren't going to do anything indecent, right? – I have no problems, Link… well, unless you snore. -

- Eh? What did you say? – Link thought he had misheard the last part. – Hmm, Malon, give me some sheets, I'll take the couch tonight. -

- No, wait! I was kidding, don't get me wrong. – Zelda said, getting a hold of his arm. She tried to make a little joke, but it didn't come out quite well. – I don't mind, honest. Just for a single night, that's all. -

- Hmm… alright, as you say. – Link said.

- I'll go sleep too. Goodnight. – Malon said.

- Goodnight. -

Link and Zelda entered the guest room. Upon entering, Zelda felt a huge relief. The bed was large enough for both of them, and wide enough so as to avoid the physical contact. She had had enough close contact with Link for that day.

Zelda asked Link to turn around for a bit so as to change her clothes. Even though he was not looking at her, she still felt embarrassed about undressing in front of a man, but she finally put on her sleeping gown, and she rested on the left side of the bed, covering herself with the sheets, Link took of his floppy cap and tunic, leaving only his white pants and a matching sleeveless shirt he was wearing below. He took the other side of the bed and rested facing in the opposite direction of Zelda to avoid any kind of contact, either visual or physical.

Zelda couldn't help but feel nervous. Link didn't know, but she was unable to shut her eyes just at the thought of having him so close to her. But she wasn't sure why. Link was a good guy, and quite decent, he would never try and take advantage of her. So, so why did she feel so anxious? It made no sense.

- Hey Link… - She suddenly said, not exactly sure why.

- Yeah? – Link answered without turning around, his voice sounding somnolent.

- Em,… - Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know what. She didn't even know why she had called out Link out of the blue. – No, nothing. I just… wanted to say goodnight. – Was all she could think of saying.

- Ah. Goodnight to you too. Sweet dreams. -

- Thank you… - She said in an almost imperceptible voice, closing her eyes to try and get some sleep.

What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so nervous being close to Link? She was confused. With these questions spinning around inside her head, maybe it wouldn't be so easy to fall asleep.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

So, how was it? The real fun begins in the next one, so be prepared.

Thanks for the reviews to: **Omega Warrior 42, msfcatlover, lvs1, M****, Lolynka **and **Zelink. **Answering the question of the latter, if you're talking "appearance-wise", I personally would imagine them with their Twilight Princess/Brawl looks. But this is an alternate universe fic, so they're not any particular Link and Zelda from the games. Well, I guess that's it. Bye, and Happy Easters to everyone!


	6. How to get rid of an invader?

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>C<strong>__**hapter 6: How to get rid of an invader?**_

_**At**__** Ordon's library…**_

Zelda had gone back to her daily routine; she was now in the middle of her habitual studying session. The day she had spent at Lon Lon Ranch had been quite … refreshing to her. Or at least, that was what she wanted to think. She couldn't shake off of her mind that night. The sole fact of Link being there, no more than 30 centimeters away from her, both of them sleeping in the same bed, was enough to keep her awake, the nervousness made her take forever to fall asleep. Of course, nothing happened that night, nothing at all. She ended up oversleeping and didn't wake up until very late, as Link got up earlier and didn't want to disturb her.

- "Nothing happened. We didn't do anything we shouldn't have done." – She said to herself. – "So then, why can't I shake this off of my head?" -

Even though two weeks had passed since then, Zelda just couldn't shake off the thought. At this moment, she was supposed to be studying, writing her notes, but her head wasn't there. Even though she seemed to be focused on her homework, looking at her closely it was clear that she had an absent stare. Her chin was resting on her left hand, while the right one, holding the quill, was not writing, but drawing.

- Hmm? – Zelda looked at her scroll, and it was then that she noticed: she had traced a small sketch of Link's face on the lower right corner of the scroll, which amazingly came out really good even though she wasn't paying attention at all. – What am I doing? -

- Hey, what's up? -

- Eh? – Zelda became paralyzed for a second upon recognizing the voice; it was Link. Instinctively she covered the sketch she had made with her hand, but she tried to feign a smile as better as she could to act natural. – Hello, Link. -

- Sorry, did I scare you? -

- No, of course not, you just… surprised me, that's all. – She said, a bit calmer.

- What's that you were writing? -

- Well... I was practicing ancient Hylian writing. – That was true, or at least, it was what she was supposed to be doing.

- Sounds complicated. – Link said. – Sorry I came out of the blue, but you were taking longer than usual, and we were waiting for you to have lunch. I was starting to get worried. –

- "He was worried about me?" – Zelda thought, as a small blush appeared on her cheeks, but fortunately Link didn't notice. – I'm sorry, I guess I became distracted and lost track of the time. – She said scratching the back of her neck.

- Ah, don't worry. – Link said with a broad smile. – How about we go and eat something out there? -

- Good idea. With all this I hadn't noticed how hungry I am. – She said.

Link left the room to wait for Zelda by the entrance. She picked up her stuff and put it back into her bag, and before leaving she went to return the books she had borrowed. She met up with Link at the entrance and they both went to get something to eat.

Meanwhile, somebody was watching the couple very closely, and it was evident that she didn't enjoy the fact they were so close. Who else, it was Ilia…

- How much longer is she gonna be here? – The green-eyed girl muttered as she watched Link and Zelda walking side by side, and having an enjoyable chat, as if though they had known each other for their entire lives. It had been three weeks since the "invader" had entered her turf, and she didn't seem to have intentions of leaving anytime soon. For the look of things, she would most likely stay for a long, long season. – I think it's time to take measures. -

Nothing else to do or say, Ilia walked after Link and Zelda, keeping her distance so they wouldn't notice her presence.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A bit later<strong>__**…**_

Link and Zelda had run into Cremia and Romani who were riding her cart on their way after they left the library. The red-headed sisters were making a delivery in the town's milk bar, and Link thought it would be a good place to go for a drink and chat for a while before going back home for their lunch. Zelda agreed, so she accepted the idea, and the four of them went towards said place. Upon arriving Romani and Cremia told Link and Zelda to enter first, as they had to deliver their load through the back door.

Link and Zelda entered the building, and after walking down a long stair they went towards the bar to order something. There were a few people sitting on the tables chattering around over drinks. Zelda also noticed there was a large platform across one of the walls, probably to be used as a stage for shows inside the bar, like dancers or singers. There were some posters featuring artists whose names Zelda had heard somewhere, among them, the Zora band known as the Indigo-Go's, very famous especially for their vocalist, Lulu, and the main guitarist, Mikau. There was another poster, showing a young woman with long, flaming red hair tied in a ponytail going down below her waist and dark skin, whom Zelda recognized as Din, a famous dancer from the region of Holodrum, but being part of the royal family, Zelda was aware that she was in actuality a powerful oracle, and the guardian of the essences of nature, and being a dancer was actually more of a hobby and a cover for her real "job". Another one she recognized was Nayru, a young, blue-haired woman whose voice was said to be the most beautiful in the region of Labrynna, but she, similarly to Din, was actually the oracle in charge of preserving and keeping the flow of time in perfect order. Zelda had only met them once, on her twelfth birthday, as they were invited to animate her party by her mother, and they were really good at it. Link and Zelda took seats at the bar and rang the bell to call the barman to take their orders.

- Sorry for the lateness, welcome. – The barman said upon arriving. – Oh, Link, long time since you last came here. -

The barman was a man with a chubby appeal, partially bald, but his remaining hair was enough to make a short ponytail, he had a big, round nose and a long, thick black moustache.

- Heh, I was kinda busy, but I'm glad to be back, Mr. Barten. – Link said.

- And... who's this lovely young lady coming with you? – Mr. Barten asked upon seeing Zelda.

- She's Zelda, she's a newcomer in town, coming from afar. – Link said.

- Pleased to meet you, sir. – Zelda said modestly.

- My pleasure, miss. – The man said as he kissed Zelda's hand. – Well, Link, will you be having the usual? -

- Yes, please. -

- And for the lady... -

- Er... I'd like the same as Link. – Zelda said, a bit unsure.

- Hey, Zelda, I don't know, it might be a bit strong for you. – Link warned her.

- Huh, is that so? Well... this is a milk bar, I suppose you don't serve anything with... well, you know. – Zelda didn't want to use that word. She was still underage and didn't want to try something with liquor without knowing her own tolerance.

- If you allow me a suggestion, the chocolate shake here is very good. – Mr. Barten purposed.

- That sounds good. – Zelda said.

- Well, then, a chocolate shake and a Romani special coming up. -

Mr. Barten went off to mix up the drinks, and after a few minutes he handed two full jars to Link and Zelda, Link's was about twice as big as Zelda's and it was full to the top. Link raised it in sign of toast and saying "Down the hatch", he drank half the content in just two gulps. Zelda preferred to use a straw and shake her drink first, it was quite syrupy, however it tasted really good.

- Hey, guys. – Romani and Cremia suddenly showed up from behind, and joined them at the bar.

- Well, here we are, you promised you'd treat me today, right? – Romani said.

- I know, I know. – Cremia said, apparently a bit annoyed. – Mr. Barten, two strawberry shakes, please. -

- Right away. -

- And so, Link, have you decided yet? -

- Decided what? – Link asked.

- Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. – Cremia replied. – If you're coming with us to the picnic this weekend. -

- Ah, that. I had forgotten. – Link said.

- Well, I hope you don't come up again with the excuse of "I have too much work to do". – Cremia said, with a slightly severe tone. – Besides, Colin told me you promised him you'll teach him how to use the bow, and I think this could be a good chance. -

- I guess so. – Link said, scratching the back of his head. The boy usually resorted to the pretext of his work "to help his Grandpa" to evade invitations and whatnot. But he had made a promise, and since for the time being he didn't have any urgent works, he couldn't escape this time.

Admittedly, lately Link was spending more time at his home just because they had a guest. He thought he should be a good host, and frankly, he and Zelda seemed to be growing closer to one another. When he wasn't outside hunting at the woods, or working at the forge, or when she wasn't at the town's library taking care of her homework, every time they were together they talked to each other of anything. Although occasionally, Zelda left him behind with her much superior intellect, Link couldn't help but feel attracted by her intelligence and maturity, much higher than what would be expected of a girl her age.

- Hey, Zelda, would you like to come too? – Cremia asked.

- Hmm? -

- I asked if you wanna come along with us to the picnic. – Cremia repeated. – You won't tell me you're busy, right? -

- Well… no, of course not. – Zelda said. – But, I don't know if I… -

- I'll be good for you, there's nothing like being in contact with the nature. – Cremia said.

- Yeah, you've spent most of these past two weeks over there at the library. – Link added. – It would make no harm to leave the routine every now and then. -

Zelda couldn't refute that. It was true; she had spent a lot of time inside the library in an attempt to distract her mind from that thought, although futilely, since she couldn't concentrate in her studies. It was becoming quite boring, even for her. Maybe it was a good moment to leave the books aside, if only for a bit, after all, nobody had told her she had to study. Hadn't she made this journey to get off of the pressures of her duties in the first place? She was so used to be a Princess it was hard for her to behave as a normal girl.

- Well, since you insist. – Zelda finally said.

- Don't forget, each of us has to bring their lunch, got it? – Cremia said.

- Hey, Link, can you ask your Grandma to prepare us some of her special soup? – Romani asked.

- Yeah, she'll be glad to. – Link said.

The four of them finished their drinks, and after paying the bill they left the bar. Romani and Cremia went back into their cart to go back to the ranch and bid their goodbyes to Link and Zelda, who went back home.

Meanwhile, Ilia watched them as they walked away from the bar. She couldn't still cope with the idea of this "new girl", or as she had began calling her most recently, the "invader" was still sleeping at Link's home. There were still not signs of them being in something… intimate really, but she wasn't going to wait for that to happen, and in any case she couldn't stand seeing them together, let alone talking to each other with so much confidence. And the worst part, the rest of the town seemed to have taking a liking for this girl.

- "Hmph, what does she have I don't have?" – She caught herself thinking.

However, she decided to leave that aside for the time being. Lately that stuff had been affecting her, and she needed to relax. In any case, she had planned to go on a picnic with her friends on the weekend. It would come in handy to help her relax. And with a bit of luck, maybe they could convince Link to come along. Then, she could make her move…

* * *

><p><em><strong>When the weekend came<strong>__**…**_

_- Give it back! -_

_- You want this? You want this? -_

_- It's mine! Give it back! -_

_- You want it, take it back. That is, if you can, hahahahaha! -_

_- Stop it, give it back, please! -_

_- Alright, since you said "please", here you go. –_

_- __Aaaahh! -_

_**SPLASH!**_

- Ah! – Zelda woke up in a jolt. She had been dreaming again. Her face was wet, she looked everywhere, and she was little Aryll standing next to her bed with a puzzled expression, and holding a glass in her hand. In that moment, she realized what had happened.

- Sorry. – Aryll said, evidently embarrassed. – But you looked as though you were having a nightmare, and I, well… -

- Don't worry. – Zelda said. She couldn't be mad at her, after all her intention had been good at heart.

- Well, my brother asked me to come get you. – Aryll said. – We're all ready to go to the picnic. We're just waiting for you. -

- Alright. Give me some minutes to get ready, please. – Zelda said, as she got off of the bed.

Aryll left the room, and Zelda went to fetch her clothes to go out. As she was getting dressed, she tried to recall the dream she had had just before Aryll had woken her up. There was a bunch of kids around her, laughing as they threw around something belonging to her, and they evidently were having fun, unlike her, who was not enjoying it at all. Suddenly, one of them pushed her, and she felt as though she had fallen into water. At that moment she woke up. It was strange, but she had the feeling she had gone through that before, although she couldn't remember well.

Once she was ready, she picked up her stuff and walked downstairs, decided not to pay any mind to it. It had just been a dream. There was no need to be alarmed or something. Besides, Link was waiting for her to go to the picnic with the others. She was supposed to be having fun.

- You took long enough. – Link said, he was outside of the stable, placing the saddle on Epona before helping Aryll mount on her. – Had a good night? -

- I guess so. – Zelda replied. Apparently Aryll had not told him about the dream she had, so she thought there was no reason for her to do it. Zelda went to get Cloud out of the stable and rode him, ready to go. – Where are we going, exactly? -

- To a place by the river's bank. – Link said. – It's a fresh place, perfect for picnics, and even more in this time of the year. -

And saying no more, Link mounted on Epona, snapped the ropes and off they went, Zelda did the same and followed him. First of all, they were supposed to meet the others who would come along at the town square.

- Ah, by the way. – Link suddenly said, handing Zelda a small box. – Grandma prepared our lunches, here you are. -

- Thank you. – Zelda said, taking the lunchbox. Grandma's lunches were really delicious; Zelda knew she would regret not being able to taste them anymore when she had to leave.

A few minutes later, they both arrived to the town square; a small group was awaiting them. There were three red-haired girls, evidently they were Malon, Romani and Cremia, a little blond boy who was probably the same age as Aryll and Romani, Zelda assumed that he was Colin, whom they had previously mentioned at the bar, y finally...

- "Aw man, not her…" – Link thought upon seeing who the last member of the group was. It was, much to his chagrin, Ilia.

- Hi, Link! – Ilia greeted cheerfully when she saw Link. But her joyful smile vanished upon seeing Zelda coming along with him. – Ah, hi to you too. -

Zelda limited herself to smile and greet her with her hand. Link tried hide to his displeasure. Colin ran off towards him.

- Hey, Link! This time you're gonna teach me, right? – He said, as though if he was talking to an older brother for an important engagement. – You're not getting away this time, right? -

- Hehe, as long as you have brought your own bow and arrows. – Link said. Colin showed him a small bow, made to his measure, much smaller than Link's long bow. He had also brought along a quiver full of arrows on his back. – OK, then we're ready for your first archery lesson. -

- And we're ready for our picnic. – Cremia said. – Everybody has their stuff, right? -

Everyone nodded. Being all set, the teenagers (and the kids) made their way to the river for their picnic.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later<strong>__**…**_

The group settled down on a small clearing near the river's bank. Zelda was chatting with Cremia and Malon, sitting on the carpet they had placed on the grass, while Aryll was playing tag with Romani, chasing each other around. Link and Colin were a bit afar from them, just as the former had promised, practicing their archery. Link had carved some circles with his knife on a huge tree so as to use for target practice, and they were now shooting arrows at them. Well, Link was shooting them, showing Colin how it was done.

- OK, now you do it. – Link said, just as he had made a perfect bull's eye on his target.

- Alright. – Little Colin raised his bow, and readied his arrow to shoot.

- No, no, Colin, you're doing it wrong. – Link said. – You have to hold the bow with your left hand, and tense the arrow with the right one. -

- But you do it the other way around. – Colin said.

- Because I'm left-handed. – Link explained. – You're right handed, so this is the right way for you. -

Link was trying to correct Colin, making him hold the bow as he had told him. The little boy tensed the arrow, his hand was trembling a bit. He took aim, and let go of the string, but the arrow flew too high, hitting above the target. Aryll and Romani, who were watching, snickered at it. Colin glared at them, and burrowed his mouth.

- Not bad… for the first try. – Link said, in an attempt to cheer up his little friend.

- Bah, who are you kidding? – Colin replied.

- Try it again. – Link said.

Colin took another arrow and tried it again, and missed again. And another, and another, but he always ended up shooting above, below, or on the sides of the target, but never in the target itself. Aryll and Romani couldn't hold the laugh when seeing Colin failing miserably on his attempts. Poor Colin was getting more and more desperate and that caused him to miss the targets even more. Finally, furious and frustrated, he threw down his bow and kicked it, and then dropped himself on the ground, crossing his arms and frowning.

- Come on, Colin, it's not that bad. – Link said, kneeling and placing his hand on Colin's shoulder.

- I'm lousy. – The little boy replied, without looking at him.

- I was lousy at your age too. – Link said. – Cheer up, you can't expect to learn this on the first try, we have to practice. Let's get back to it. -

- I don't want to. -

- Where's all your enthusiasm now? – Link asked. – If you give up now, you'll never learn. -

Colin was reluctant to try again, especially because he couldn't stand Aryll and Romani laughing at him. But Link's stubborn insistence finally convinced him. The little boy picked up his bow and prepared to shoot again. This time, Link told him to try and calm down so that his hands wouldn't tremble, and also told him to take one or two seconds to aim well. Making an effort to follow Link's indications, Colin shot again, and his results improved notably. Heartened at his progress, the little boy stepped away to try at a longer distance. Link smiled in satisfaction, his little apprentice was motivated now, he could continue on his own. Or at least, it seemed so when Aryll and Romani, when Colin decided not to pay any mind to their scoffing anymore, took the initiative and snagged the bow from him, and then they ran off and threw it to each other.

- Give it back! – Colin screamed as he ran back and forth between Aryll and Romani.

- Come get it! – Romani yelled back. - Aryll, catch! -

- Got it! – Aryll caught the bow, and threw it back at Romani.

The kids kept on with their little game for a bit, as the teenagers watched. Zelda in particular couldn't help but feel a little envious when seeing the kids playing, in her childhood she never had anyone to play like that, and she secretly wished she could join them. But as it was bound to happen, eventually the game became too much of an annoyance for Colin and he gave Romani a shove to recover his bow, and the little redhead burst into tears.

- Waaaaaaah! Sis, Colin shoved me! -

- Colin! – Cremia stepped in, holding her little sister. – You mustn't do that. -

- But she started! – Colin excused.

- Even so, you have no rights to shove her like that. – Link intervened.

- But… -

- No buts. – Link said. – Apologize to her. -

Reluctantly, Colin apologized, and he didn't take long to notice that Romani was only feigning the tears; she apparently thought it would be fun to have Colin getting scolded. The little boy became angered and ran off after the little redhead, not caring about what Link had just said about not shoving her. Romani was still laughing at him, with Aryll backing her up, and Colin felt frustrated about not being able to decide who he should run after first.

Meanwhile, there was somebody who was practically excluded from the rest of the group. Ilia seemed to be really upset, and she was holding (barely) the urges to jump over the "invader" and rip her apart with her own hands.

- Hush… why did she have to come along? – She muttered, as she saw the two little girls running towards Zelda and dragged her to play with them, looking really happy. After a while of running around, the three of them went back and sat along with Cremia and Malon, apparently to discuss "girls' stuff". – You don't have enough with hogging Link, do you? Now you're hogging my friends too. -

She couldn't understand how that "new girl" had managed to earn so much attention in town. The girl had appeared roughly a month ago, however, everybody in town seemed to love her as though she had lived always there. Even the kids had a lot of fun playing with her as in that very moment, something Zelda herself seemed to enjoy greatly, as though she never had had a childhood.

- Oh, no. We're out of water. – Cremia suddenly said, as she saw some drops falling off her canteen.

- I can get more for you if you want. – Zelda offered.

- Alright, thanks a lot. – Cremia said, handing her the canteen. Zelda also took Malon's to fill it up at once.

The girl began walking towards the river, but incidentally passing by next to Ilia who, accidentally on purpose, stretched out her foot just as Zelda walked by her. Zelda tripped over, and fell face down to the ground, landing on a muddy puddle.

- Zelda! – Link cried out.

- Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. – Ilia said, feigning innocence as best as she could, and kneeling down to help her get up. Her act was forced, but convincing enough.

- You OK, are you hurt? – Link asked.

- No need to worry, I'm fine. – Zelda said, she then looked at herself; she was all covered in mud. – Oh, for the Goddesses, what will I do now? Just look at me. -

- You'd need a good bath. – Romani commented as a suggestion.

- That's not a bad idea. – Zelda agreed.

- You know, a little further upstream there's a waterfall. – Cremia suggested. – There's hardly a soul over there, you can go wash yourself and your clothes. -

- Yes, I think I'll do that. – The princess replied, as she tried to wipe off the mud as best as she could. – I'll be back soon, alright? -

Zelda left, holding her dress as she walked away. Link, however, looked sidelong at Ilia, who seemed to be trying to hold back the laughter. Apparently, she thought it would be fun to have Zelda fall face first on the mud. A few minutes later, Ilia suddenly spoke up:

- I think I'll go… accompany Zelda. – She almost spat the name. – You know, to make sure she doesn't have… any troubles. –

And without a word, she left the clearing in the same direction Zelda had followed. While Malon, Cremia and the kids had no suspicions about Ilia's attitude, Link was not as naïve to fall for her tale. So, when nobody was looking, he followed Ilia. He had a bad feeling about her.

After a while, Zelda arrived to the waterfall. The young princess became amazed at the sight: in that place a small lake was formed, before entering the river, the entire place was surrounded by lush trees, the water was pure and crystalline, so much that the fish could be seen swimming around. It was hard to believe not many people would come to this place.

Zelda kneeled before the lake, she took off her dress, and washed it over and over in the water until she finally removed the mud, she drained it out, and just as a precaution she looked around everywhere to make sure nobody was watching, and used her magical powers to dry it. She then took some water in her hands to wash her face and hair, but just as she was going to put her dress back on, she stopped.

Her original intention was simply to wash herself and her clothes, however, for some reason, something urged her to enjoy that place a little longer. Maybe the others wouldn't mind if she took a while more to return, it would make no harm.

Smiling, she stripped off her undergarments, and leaving them next to her dress, she walked into the water. As she reached the bottom she noticed the lake formed was rather shallow, the water barely reached a centimeter below her knees, so she walked right under the waterfall and kneeled down. The water falling upon her felt a little cold, but once she got used to the temperature it began feeling really good. At the castle, she was always prepared warm water and bath salts in her bathtub when it was her bath time. But bathing like this, au naturel, was far more pleasurable, and refreshing. It was an indescribable sensation, and she loved it.

A few minutes later, Ilia arrived at the lake below the waterfall. From afar, she caught a glimpse of the princess bathing under the falling water. She had to hold back an anger outburst, provoked by a fit of envy invading her, upon seeing her like that.

- Hmph, show off. – She muttered. – Good thing nobody except me is watching you. -

Discreetly, Ilia snuck towards Zelda's clothes. She took advantage of the girl looking at the other side while bathing, and snagged them.

- Hmm? This is odd, they're dry. – Ilia said. – O well, who cares. -

She cautiously walked away before she noticed her presence, and hid behind some bushes.

- *Giggle*, let's see how do you like this, new girl. – Ilia said, pulling out a small pouch out of her pocket.

- Mind if I ask what are you doing with that? -

- Aahh! – Ilia was startled, the voice had caught her off-guard. She looked around everywhere, and saw Link standing behind her, his arms crossed, and a severe expression in his face. – Oh… hehe… hi, Link… - She said, trying to feign innocence. – I didn't know you were here. -

- I had a hunch, and I thought I should come to make sure you weren't up to no good. By the way, isn't that Zelda's dress you have there? – Link said, as she saw the folded blue and white dress she had on her lap. – What are you doing with it? -

- Ahem… well, I… - Ilia's mind became a torrent, trying to make up a believable excuse, but before she had the chance to, Link snatched the small pouch in her hand. - Hey! -

- Hmm. – Link examined the contents between his fingers, and a few seconds later he felt an itching in them. – This is itching powder, Ilia. You were gonna pour this into Zelda's dress so she would get itching when she put it on? -

- Me? Link, how can you say that! Do you really think I could do such a thing? – Ilia said, still trying to feign innocence.

- I don't THINK you'd do it, I KNOW you'd do it. – Link said, making emphasis, handing her the pouch back and taking Zelda's dress. – Ilia, you don't have the age for these childish pranks. Where's Zelda? -

- Why do you want to know that? – Ilia asked, she was already starting to get annoyed.

- Don't play smart on me. – Link said. – I'll put this back in its place. -

- Hmph, fine, you win. – Ilia groaned. – She's over there, bathing at the waterfall. -

- Thanks. – Link said. – You better go back to the clearing with the others. -

As Link headed towards the waterfall, Ilia went back to the others very angry. If it wasn't because she knew Link very well, she would be worried about what could happen if he went to that place with the "new girl".

On the other hand, Link was beginning to question himself about what he had just said and done. It was true he couldn't trust Ilia for what she was about to do, but, maybe it was not necessary to do it himself. In any case, the others were too far, so he had to do it whether he liked it or not.

- "Why am I so worried? I'm just gonna put this back in its place, that's all." – Link said, trying to shake those thoughts off of his head. In case Zelda saw him, he could explain what had happened, so she wouldn't think badly of him.

Well, his original idea was to place Zelda's dress back in its place, and go back immediately, quickly and silently. He quickly found Zelda's undergarments, so he placed the dress next to them, however, when he was about to leave, he overheard Zelda, above the noise of the waterfall. The girl was singing, and she wasn't bad at it, which caught the attention of the blond young man. Even though his rational part didn't cease telling him to get out of there immediately, something made him stay where he was. The girl's voice was really beautiful, and not exactly sure why he did it, he turned around in the direction it was coming from.

There was Zelda, the water falling upon her. The lower part of her body was hidden under the river, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the point of view) what Link got to see was more than enough to cause him to remain static in that place, speechless. Thanks to the Goddesses her long hair was covering her breasts, however, it couldn't hide her slender figure, and her white skin glossing due to being wet. The girl seemed to be enjoying a lot her bath in the waterfall, as her face was showing a pleasant expression, smiling with her eyes closed. Link followed the girl's movements with his look; he had been completely mesmerized by her beauty.

- Holy Goddesses… - Link mumbled, admiring how the girl delicately rubbed her body, as if it was some sort of divine purification ritual, so to speak. But after a few seconds, he realized what he was doing, and then slapped himself and shook his head. – "What the heck's wrong with you, Link, are you a pervert now? I better get out of here before she notices me."-

An swiftly, he turned around and ran off, he was lucky he didn't bump or trip with something, as he forcibly shut his eyes out of fear of feeling tempted to look behind. He finally stopped, and sat under a large tree, taking a deep breath, and trying to get his heartbeat back to its normal pace. He felt his face was all red-hot. He tried to shake that image off of his head, but he just couldn't, or rather, he didn't wish to. Never, ever in his whole life he had seen so much beauty together in a woman. Link was almost sure Zelda could have easily embarrassed many girls in town older than her. He himself couldn't believe what he was thinking, but well, he was a man, being impressed by a woman's beauty was not strange, let alone after seeing her in such splendor, right?

- There, Link, there… - He said, finally calming down, as he gave himself a few pats on the chest. – Nobody needs to know this, right? -

He took a deep breath again, and he finally managed to get over it. It was a little more than he would have expected to see of Zelda, and even though he couldn't deny he liked what he saw, he decided not to talk or think about it anymore. Convincing himself that it was just a sudden impulse, a moment of weakness, he went back to the clearing with the others.

Meanwhile, Zelda thought she had heard something on the river's bank while she was bathing, but upon checking it she didn't find anyone. She assumed it was probably some animal snooping around. Feeling refreshed, she dried herself and got dressed, ready to go back to the clearing.

- Sorry for the lateness. – She said, as she sat down with the others.

- Don't worry. – Cremia said. – Well, who's hungry? -

- I'm hungry! – Colin exclaimed. – Uff, all this target practice makes me starve. -

- I needed it already. – Aryll said, as she opened her lunch box. Colin couldn't resist taking a peek at Aryll's lunch.

- Hey, that smells good. – He said. – Is that your Grandma's lunch again? -

- Don't even think about it. – Aryll said, moving it away from him. – Everybody has to bring their lunch. -

- Hmph, you're so mean. – Colin said, looking at his own lunch depressed.

Everybody started eating. Colin didn't seem to enjoy his lunch as much as the others, and he still glared at Aryll with envy occasionally, who in response stuck her tongue at him. Zelda noticed it, and letting out a small giggle, she took one of her sandwiches and handed it to Colin.

- Do you want some? -

- Really? – Colin asked, excited.

- Of course. – Zelda smiled at him.

- Hey, Zelda, but... – Aryll was about to protest something.

- It makes no harm to share with others. – Zelda said. – Don't be so selfish. -

- Hmm... - Aryll lowered her head, blushing slightly, while Colin happily chewed the sandwich.

- Thanks, Zelda. – The little boy said.

The lunch continued quietly. After everybody was stuffed, Link and Colin resumed their archery practice, and Colin advanced formidably. He was a good apprentice. The two little girls went back to their tag game, whereas the older girls began chattering around. Even Ilia was making a huge effort to pretend being nice to Zelda.

- Ah, I've just remembered. – Ilia said, suddenly standing up. – I need to go find some medical herbs. -

- Medical herbs? – Link asked.

- Yeah, turns out that… one of our horses is a bit sick. – She said, trying to make a pretext. – Somebody wants to come along? – She asked with apparent innocence, although she was looking sidelong at Zelda.

When nobody else answered, Zelda, just as Ilia anticipated, stood up, and offered to come along. Ilia seemed to be pleased (and she was). Link saw that suspiciously. Something inside him told him that Ilia was up to something again, and it was no good. Especially, because he knew that in the direction they were going, there were many dangerous beasts lurking around.

The two girls left the clearing, going deeper into the nearby woods. Fortunately for Ilia, she did have some knowledge of medical herbs, and she picked up some so as not to raise suspicions. Ilia's intention was to go a bit into the woods, get a bit away from Zelda, and if she saw the chance, possibly scare her good while she was lost. During a few minutes they walked deeper and deeper into the forest, however, unbestknown to Ilia, Zelda left some arrow-shaped marks with a piece of charcoal on the trees she passed by, so as to remember the path.

After a few minutes of walking around and picking up herbs, Ilia asked Zelda if she could get for her a certain flower which supposedly had healing properties, pointing at the direction where she could find it. Not having any suspicions, Zelda gladly accepted, and walked deeper into the woods, unaware of the malicious smile in Ilia's face.

- Thanks a lot,… you fool. – She sneered.

Once she was far enough, Ilia turned around and ran off, so as to be at a safe distance. Her intention was to go around Zelda and sneak up from behind, to scare the hell out of her. And perhaps she might even have a heart attack, it didn't sound bad inside Ilia's head. She couldn't stop laughing inside, it would be so much fun to see her face of terror, maybe even frightening her to the point of tears. She was so busy thinking about it… she took a few seconds to realize she had lost sight of her.

- Hey, where'd she go? -

Ilia walked in the direction Zelda had supposedly taken. But she didn't find her. She couldn't hear her screaming or anything either, so as to follow her voice. She walked a few minutes, refraining herself from calling out for her or something, so as to not to ruin the surprise factor… but due to her stubbornness, shortly after she realized that not only she had lost sight of Zelda, but she was also walking around in circles, and now, she had no idea how to go back.

- Aw shoot, what do I do now? – She groaned. – I don't know where I am. This is all your fault, invader, you'll pay for this. -

She couldn't believe it; she herself had fallen in her own trap. And she was all alone, lost in those dark woods, at the mercy of the wild animals living in them… a chill went down her spine at the thought. Furthermore, it was supposed to be an "innocent prank". If she went back without Zelda, the others would ask what had happened to her. And if Zelda couldn't go back on her own, they would say that if something had happened to her, it would be Ilia's fault. No, no way she could allow that.

She stood up, and swallowing her pride she tried to find Zelda, trying to make it seem as if she was worried about her, although she was more concerned about saving her own hide, particularly from Link's anger. If his "little new friend" didn't come back safely, he would most likely torture her with the remorse forever.

- Zelda! Zelda, where are you? -

Ilia kept calling out for her, but she got no response. Maybe it was due to the trees mellowing her voice. She tried not to stray too far from the zone so as to not to get even more lost. She had a fright when, without warning, a bird flew down over her, scratching her head, as though she was invading its territory. Invading territory, what an irony, as that was the same thing she was dealing with.

Finally, after a few minutes, she sat on the roots of a tree to rest for a bit. That was ridiculous. How could it be possible, she, being victim of her own joke? But she had to find Zelda. She couldn't go back without her, whether she liked her or not. But she needed to think clearly. Making an effort, she thought she had to retrace every step she had given to find her way back.

- "Damn it." – Ilia muttered to herself. – "For the Goddesses, how did it get in this mess?" -

- Here you are. – Suddenly Zelda's voice spoke behind Ilia, startling her. – I've been looking for you, what happened? -

- Nothing, it's just… I think I got lost a bit. – The blonde groaned. – Did you find the flower? -

- No, it wasn't where you pointed me. – Zelda replied. – We better go back. Follow me. -

- Are you kidding me? How are YOU going to show ME the way? -

- I left marks on the trees on our way here. – Zelda said, grabbing her hand. – We just need to follow them, come on. -

- "Great, why didn't I think about it?" – Ilia groaned in the inside, hating Zelda even more for being smarter than her. – "I brought her here to have her get lost, and she's the one who finds me when I get lost. On top of that, she's the one who ends up sneaking on me and startling me. Just great." -

Zelda dragged Ilia back to the clearing, effectively, following the direction of the arrows Zelda had marked on the trees, they didn't take long to find the way back to the river. What both of them ignored, however, was that a pair of bright yellow eyes was following their movements… lurking around very, very closely…

A few minutes later, walking downstream, the two girls went back to the clearing. The others were waiting, and they were clearly very worried about their absence, so they felt relieved upon seeing them again.

- What took you so long? – Cremia asked.

- My apologies, Ilia got lost. – Zelda said. – Fortunately, I left a trail of arrows on the trees to find the way back. -

- It's really dangerous to go over there. – Link said. – You might have run into some wild beast. -

- Hehe, that would have been fun. Rawr! – Colin roader, acting like some sort of monster, which Aryll and Romani didn't like.

- Well, I think we've had enough fun for today. – Link said. – We better… wait… -

- Is anything wrong, Link? – Zelda asked.

- Did you hear that? -

- Hear what? I don't… wait a moment. -

Everybody perked up their ears. Sure enough, they heard very close the groans of something, sounding like a wolf. Everybody remained alert, Aryll and Romani instinctively hugged Cremia as she tried to calm them down. Link looked around everywhere, trying to pinpoint the direction of the groans. Once he determined the right direction, he looked closely. About 150 meters away from them, behind some bushes, he caught the glimpse of a couple of yellow eyes, glaring at them.

- Oh, no… - He whispered. Whatever was hiding there, Link could only say one thing for sure: it had its sight on them, for dinner. – Stay away. Find a place to hide. -

Cautiously, Link tried t grab his bow, but the animal, apparently foreseeing his intention, finally jumped off out of its hideout, and run towards them. It was then they could see it clearly. The beast had a largely canine-like appeal, much like an overgrown wolf, it had a dark grey, thick fur, and long, sharp claws and teeth. Its forepaws looked more like arms, as they were long compared to the hind legs.

- IT'S A WOLFOS! – Link yelled. – RUN, NOW! -

Screaming in terror, everybody spread out. Romani and Aryll ran towards a tree, and climbed up helped by Cremia to get safe, and then they helped her climb up. Malon, who went into a panic, took the fastest escape route and threw herself into the river, praying so that animal hated water. Ilia and Zelda tried to get away in another direction. The wild animal ran off towards Link, who had barely enough time to draw an arrow from his quiver and shoot, but as he had no time to aim well, the arrow flew by barely scratching the beast's fur, which then jumped over Link.

- LINK! – Zelda and Ilia screamed. The wild animal was trying to sink its teeth on Link, who was pinned to the ground and now was struggling to keep its jaws closed. In response, Ilia and Zelda threw stones at them to try and distract its attention. One of them smacked it on the head, and that was enough to get him enraged and forget about Link, and chase after them.

- RUN! – Zelda yelled.

Link took the chance to get back on his feet. Thanks to the quick action of Ilia and Zelda, he suffered no injuries; however, the Wolfos had shattered his bow in a single bite, so he had to run after his sword as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Wolfos was now after Ilia and Zelda. The two girls had no time to go around the beast to jump into the river as Malon did, and there were no climbable trees close to escape, so they had no choice but to keep running, but the animal was quickly catching up to them. Zelda tripped over and fell, but Ilia, either due to the panic or some other reason, didn't stop to help her. The Wolfos was almost on Zelda.

- NO! -

_**WOOSH! **__**THOK!**_

- AAAAAAAUUUUUU! – The beast let out a terrible and shrieking howl, an arrow had just hit its shoulder. Once it was over, it turned in the direction it had come from, and it saw the one who was responsible: Colin, who had gotten a hold of his own bow when nobody was watching, and by firing one of his own arrows he managed to dissuade the enraged animal of chasing the girls, who took the chance to split up and hide behind some bushes, but at a high cost: he had just become its new prey.

- COLIN! – Romani and Aryll screamed from the tree.

The little boy, amazed at his own boldness, became petrified at the Wolfos' yellow eyes, and the beast began running in all four towards him. A couple of seconds later he came to realize that he had to move out of there, or he'll become its appetizer, and he dropped the bow again before running off towards the tree where Aryll, Romani and Cremia were, trying to save his own life.

- COLIN, GIVE ME YOUR HAND! – Cremia yelled, as she reached out for him. Colin grabbed for all he was worth, as if his life depended on it (and so it was), but his feed slipped on the tree's bark, and he couldn't climb up. Romani and Aryll hugged each other in fear, praying so Cremia managed to pull him up before the Wolfos had caught up, and that she didn't fall in the process.

Link ran as fast as he could towards the beast, drawing his sharp sword. He had to catch it up, and deliver a direct blow: he couldn't fail. The Wolfos was about to get to the tree, it seemed as though it would get Colin, but, inexplicably, something stopped it, just before it caught him. Link thought he had seen for a split second some small burst of white light close to the Wolfos' face, but he had no time to think about it, so acting on his instincts, he picked up the pace, and raising his sword above his head, he slammed it down with full force on top of the beast's head.

_**PLANK! **_The sword's blade slammed hard on the Wolfos' head, Link could almost hear its skull cracking, and the beast let out a pathetic wail, stumbled a bit, and fell to the ground, never to get up again. Link was gasping, as he put his sword back into the scabbard. The others approached; finally, the danger was gone. Once he regained his breath, he turned to look at Colin and the girls, who were climbing back down the tree. Malon poked her head out of the river, and went out once she noticed the mess was all over.

- Is everyone OK? – She asked.

- We're OK. – Cremia said. – Goddesses, that was close. -

- You OK, Malon? – Link asked.

- Wet to the bone, but I'm fine. – The redhead assured.

- I think this is as far as our picnic goes for today. – Link said. – If there's one of them, there might be others. Pick up your stuff and let's go back to town, now. -

Everybody went to pick up their belongings to leave, before more dangerous beasts arrived. Ilia and Zelda finally came out of hiding, and approached Link.

- Are you two alright? – Link asked, although he only looked at Zelda.

- Yes, we are. – Zelda said.

- Go get your stuff and let's go. – Link said, and then he turned towards Ilia. – As for you, I think we need to talk. -

Link took Ilia aside; however, while picking up her stuff, Zelda managed to overhear what they were talking, clearly Link was really upset. Out of a reflex action, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at them.

- What the heck were you thinking? – She heard him say, as he held Ilia's shoulder, in a somewhat harsh manner.

- Link, I assure you that… -

- Listen, I don't know what kind of prank you were up to, and I don't care, for that matter. But having gone over there, you and Zelda could have been injured or something worse. -

- You're just saying it for her. – Ilia said with a small aversion. – You wouldn't have cared if something had happened to me. -

- What do you mean by…? – Link was about to say something else, but he stopped, and letting out a snort, he continued. – That's not the point. What I'm trying to say is, this wasn't some innocent joke. What you did might have put all of us in danger, and thank the Goddesses nobody ended up being hurt. I'll give you a piece of advice, Ilia: grow up, because you're not a child anymore. -

Link said nothing else, and left Ilia to pick up his belongings and leave the place. Zelda, meanwhile, apparently felt somewhat bad for the way Link scolded Ilia, she had to admit he was a tad scary when angry. Ilia went off, as Zelda could notice, quite mad, to reunite with Malon, Romani, Cremia, Aryll and Colin. Link picked up his stuff and approached Zelda.

- Shall we go? – He asked.

- Of course. – She replied, and then joined the others.

Along the way back to town, Colin didn't stop annoying Link, talking about how he had saved them and all. Link tried to give some merits to the little boy, as he had been very brave when shooting that arrow, saving Zelda and Ilia.

- C'mon Link, you were the hero. – Colin said. – Wait until I tell my dad about this, when you went "BAM!" right on its head. -

- No big deal. – Link said.

- But you killed a Wolfos. -

- Yeah, but… something distracted it. –

- Say what? -

- I don't think you noticed, but… when I was running, I saw something hit on its face, like a small burst of light, I don't know, and that stopped it for a couple of seconds, which gave me the chance to kill it off. -

- You sure? I didn't see anything. Well, what could I see while I was running for my life? -

- Yeah, that's true. - Link said nothing else. He was almost sure he had seen something, but he finally decided to forget about it.

Zelda, on the other hand, knew very well that Link wasn't wrong about it. She was surprised that he was so perceptive of his surroundings in such a dangerous situation. They had no idea, but it had been her. From her hideout, and since nobody could notice her, she fired a small light ball from her fingertip, almost imperceptible, which hit the Wolfos on the side of its face, distracting it for a couple of seconds, and giving Link the chance to get to it in time and deliver the fatal blow to save Colin. But of course, that was an action she didn't plan to claim credit for.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At nighttime<strong>__**, at Link's home…**_

Zelda was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring absently. The girl felt really bad for what had happened in the afternoon. Even though it wasn't her fault, she couldn't help but feel a little responsible for Link getting mad at Ilia. She was sure Ilia didn't mean to put either her or anyone else in danger.

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

- It's open. – Zelda said, half-heartedly. The door opened, it was Link, carrying a tray with food.

- You didn't come down for dinner; I thought you might be hungry. – Link said, Zelda tried to force a smile to say thank you, but Link clearly saw that she still felt bad for what had happened. – Still thinking about it? – He asked as he took a seat next to her.

- I… -

- Zelda, I've already told you, it wasn't your fault. – Link said, trying to make her feel better. – You were just another victim of Ilia's stupidities. -

- Link, tell me, is Ilia like that all the time? – Zelda asked.

- No, only when she goes into outbursts. – Link said, with a half-sarcastic tone. – She knows very well it's dangerous to get into those parts of the woods. -

- Even so… don't you think you were… well, a bit hard to her? – Zelda said. – I'm sure she didn't want anybody to get hurt or something. -

- Maybe, but that doesn't justify what she did. – Link said. – We're not talking about an innocent joke. Besides… -

- Besides? -

- No, nothing, it doesn't matter. – Link decided not to comment anything else about it. Zelda didn't need to know that those "incidents" had been made on purpose by Ilia's hand. Neither that he had seen… a lot more of her than he should have. – What she did was too dangerous, and that's all. -

Zelda remained silent. Link was right, whatever Ilia was attempting ended up being very dangerous. She finally decided to forget the subject.

- Well, you better eat this before it gets cold. – Link said, giving her the tray. – You shouldn't go to bed with your stomach empty. -

- Yes, you're right. – Zelda said, taking the tray.

- I'll go close the workshop, if you need something just call out for me, OK? -

- I will, thank you. -

Link left the room, and Zelda finally decided to eat her dinner. She was still not completely at ease, but at least Link's words have helped her feel better. And come to think about it, leaving the small incidents outside, the afternoon had not been too bad.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A few days later<strong>__**…**_

Malon was walking towards the mayor's home. That morning she had received a note from Ilia telling her to come to see her at her home. Having nothing else to do, she decided to go, although wondering what could be what Ilia wanted. She felt uneasy; something inside her told her that probably she didn't want to see her for something nice. However, she felt it would be rude not to respond, so she decided to go at least for courtesy.

- You're late. – Ilia said, she was waiting for her by the door.

- You didn't specify the hour. – Malon said, trying not to sound rude. – Well… what do you need? -

- Malon… you and I need to talk very seriously. -

- About what? – Malon asked.

- It's not about a "what", but a "whom". It's about that… new girl. – Ilia said, she almost let out an insult in the last part.

- Do you mean Zelda? What's wrong with her? –

- Haven't you noticed? She's so conceited, and she's always putting on airs, as though if she was some high-society lady. -

- What are you saying? – Malon asked. – I think she's really nice. -

- That girl's always hogging Link's attention. – Ilia continued, ignoring the comment of Malon in defense of Zelda. – She's abusing his hospitality by staying at his home. -

- What's that supposed to mean? – Malon didn't understand where that came from. – Hey, she's staying at Link's home because he offered it, and he tries to be a good host, what's wrong with that? -

- Malon, are you blind or what? – Ilia said, making no effort to hide the jealousy in her voice. – Don't you see that girl is a threat, and from one moment to another she could…? -

- She could what? – Malon interrupted, and then the realization hit her in her head. – Wait a moment; are you jealous of Zelda being with Link? -

- J-jealous, me? Please, why should I be jealous of that… that…! Well, anyhow! -

- Ilia, what's your problem? And in any case, what do I have to do in all of this? -

- Listen, Malon. You and I, both have been friends with Link for a long time, right? We've known him for years, and you can't deny that you like him as much as I do, right? -

- B-but what are you saying? – Malon flushed when he heard that, seemingly, Ilia had just hit a nerve.

- Don't play dumb on me. – Ilia insisted. – We both know it, there's no point in denying it. -

- W-well… - Malon didn't know what to say. Where did Ilia want to go with all that?

- Malon, considering that we both are Link's closest friends, it's not fair that an invader shows up and tries to steal him from us, right? -

- But… -

- Malon, if that girl gets in the way, kiss goodbye your chances with Link. – Ilia declared as a fact. – We might be rivals in that, but now we have a common enemy. -

- Speak for yourself, Zelda is not MY enemy. – Malon replied.

- Fine, if you don't wanna help me, have it your way. But think about it. I'm just offering you some assistance to get that girl out of the way. Once we're done, we can have a fair competition for Link. -

- Hey, how can you say that? Link's not some kind of trophy! -

- Would you prefer if he falls in love with some perfect stranger? If I were you, I'd definitely fight for him. -

Malon opened her mouth, but no words came out. Ilia had just hit another nerve. It was true, she had been Link's friend for a long time; in fact, she had been the one who gave him Epona when she was just a foal. But in actuality, she had always harboured deeper feelings for Link, more than she was willing to admit. He was very popular with the girls in town; however he didn't seem to be proud or flattered for it. He was equally nice to all of them, but she had to acknowledge that, with Zelda, his kindness was in a different level, and even though he had roughly a month of knowing her. Quite unusual, she had to admit. But Zelda was a really nice girl, and she had been quite generous to her, she had saved her and her cousins from losing their ranch due to the debts. Whatever Ilia was planning, could she really be capable of paying her that way?

- We… we're not going to hurt her, right? – Malon asked, really worried.

- Does that mean you'll help me? – Ilia asked in turn. – Don't worry, nobody will get hurt. -

- Hmm… OK… I'll help you. – Malon replied, resigned

- Alright, this is what we'll do… -

Malon listened closely. She thought that Ilia's attitude was neither correct nor healthy. But having Link in the middle was just too compromising. She had to admit that the idea of Link falling in love with a girl he barely knew was not completely to her liking. She had been happy with being just her friend for years, but… did she have any chances to have something else with him? Would it be worth it, to ally with Ilia for it?

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

Uff, sorry it took me so long. Too much work at the university, I feel overwhelmed, but here it is. Ilia has already begun being an annoyance, but she's gonna butt in at maximum in the next one. There's gonna be a lot of tension there.

As usual, thanks to: **Beforethedawnbreaks, msfcatlover, lv1s, Lolynka, Zelink, XxheartsyouxX, wiggielf, Jazzmatazz2000, VentedHalo **and **PhinaPhantasy** for the reviews. The next chapter is the longest, so I might take a while to translate it. Also, there's still a lot of issues in my university, and until the term is over I can't be taking care of this in full. See ya.


	7. A really dirty trick

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>C<strong>__**hapter 7: A really dirty trick**_

_**At **__**Link's home…**_

About a month and a half had passed since the day of the picnic. While Zelda had no hard feelings, the memory of that Wolfos was still fresh in Link's mind.

Link couldn't really understand why Ilia was so bent in behaving like a child. Furthermore, this time, and considering that whatever she was up to almost cost them their lives, it was not funny. Plus, her attacks always seemed to be aimed at Zelda. Link wondered what could have Zelda done to Ilia, because she definitely had a thing for her.

But there was something else disturbing his mind, although, unlike the above, he couldn't say it was in a negative way. The scene Link had seen at the waterfall made him lose his breath, and perhaps any small trace of innocence he still had inside. It was true that Zelda was a really beautiful young woman, but after seeing her like that, in such splendor… it was as though something inside him had been awakened, as if though, in a manner of speaking, his inner child suddenly grew up into an adult man. Something he, inexplicably, couldn't hold back. Every time he remembered that image, he tended to forget about everything, and everyone around him. And the more he tried to get it off of his mind, the less he could.

- "What's wrong with me… why can't I stop thinking about it?" – He asked to himself.

Even at nighttime, he tried to keep his mind away from those thoughts by going to bed early. However, rather than being a help, that only made it worse. About every 5 of each 7 nights, Link's dreams took him back to that scene of the waterfall. While at first everything was normal, as it had happened in the real life, the last few times the dreams had started deviating a bit gradually, until, in the part where he was supposed to run off, inexplicably ended up slipping and falling into the water, which attracted Zelda's attention. But the most strange of all, was that she didn't scream or something upon seeing him. Instead, she stood up and, seemingly not caring at all about being completely naked, she slowly walked towards him. Link didn't move, not really sure if it was because he couldn't or he didn't want, but the fact was that, once Zelda reached him, she raised her hands to caress his cheeks, gave him a sensual smile, and closing her eyes, she slowly approached with her lips ready… and right in that moment he woke up.

- "Just a little more and… for the Goddesses, what am I thinking?" – Link couldn't help but wonder how could that have ended if he just hadn't woken up in that very moment… and he wasn't sure he was happy about having woken up at all.

The point was that Zelda had come to be much more than a guest at Link's home. His grandparents used to treat her as if though she was their granddaughter, and Aryll enjoyed spending time with her as though if she was her older sister. They felt her as part of their family. As for Link… well, he saw her in a very different light to any other girl he had met in his whole life. And even though he didn't really know much about her (Zelda never spoke about herself more than necessary), Link couldn't deny he really felt attracted to her way of being. Zelda was polite, modest, kind and very sweet. But the thing he liked the most about her, even more than her great beauty, was her intelligence and maturity. She was in a different league than any other girl he had ever met. He was wondering… what was that feeling he had for her at that moment? Something was for sure; he wouldn't be satisfied just being her "friend" anymore.

On the other hand, Link wasn't the only one who was having recurring dreams. That morning, after waking up, Zelda was able to remember better the dream she had had. She saw herself, at the age of 4 or 5 years. She was at the Castle Town's square, she had gone out incognita for a walk with her mother, but she had gone off to play on her own, and ended up running into a group of naughty boys who were a tad older than her. They stole her tiara, and began hurling it to each other; she cried out and begged them to give it back to her, but then they shoved her into the fountain, making her burst into tears. A second later, however, another boy showed up, and despite being alone, he bravely stood up to them and punished them, warning them not to pick her on. Then, the boy approached her to help her get out of the fountain, but she was unable to see his face clearly. In that very moment she woke up. It seemed like the dream advanced a little further every time. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had gone through that before.

- Good morning. – She greeted when she arrived to the table. Everybody, including Link, was already having breakfast.

- Good morning. – Everybody replied. Zelda sat next to Link, who couldn't help but looking at her through the corner of his eye. As though she had noticed, Zelda turned to look at him, and he immediately looked away. Zelda, however, let out a small smile.

The breakfast continued in silence. However, Link's quiet attitude didn't go unnoticed by the rest of his family. Especially, Aryll noticed that Link seemed to try and avoid the direct visual contact with Zelda, something she hadn't seen in him before. She even had noticed that he became a little nervous when talking to Zelda, specifically since they had come back from the picnic that day. Despite her short age, the little girl was quite perceptive: could it be that Link had finally found a girl he liked? Had something happened during that time they were absent? Aryll hadn't dared making any questions, but she did notice that Link had acted strange upon returning. Definitely, something had happened.

- Alright, I have to go, see ya. – Link said once he finished his breakfast.

- Where ya going, Link? – Grandpa asked. – Today's your free day, you don't have… -

- You forgot, Grandpa? – Link said. – We have to decorate the town square, the Joke's Festival will be in a week and I promised I'll help getting everything ready. -

- It's true, you never miss it for the world, son. – Grandma giggled, as Link walked out of the house.

- The Joke's Festival? – Zelda asked.- What is that? -

- Don't you know it, Zelda? – Aryll said. – It's a festival in which everybody goes doing funny pranks to each other. It's really fun. -

- Fun? – Zelda said. – Is there any fun in playing pranks to others? -

- Ah, they're inoffensive pranks, dear. – Grandma said.

- Not all of them, some of them do go overboard. – Grandpa intervened. – Remember that time when they placed a ferret in my pants? It left quite the mark on my… sensitive areas. – Grandpa had to refrain himself from using an improper speech in front of their guest. Zelda found the tale in itself quite… disturbing.

- Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad. – Grandma said. – Alright, some of them go a bit too far, but not our Link, he'd never do something so disgusting. -

- Big brother is the best. – Aryll said. – Nobody escapes him that day, and they never get him. He knows all the traps, and his jokes are always good… oh, no, he never goes overboard, honest. – She added upon seeing the look in Zelda's face.

- You have to give him some credit. – Grandma commented. – It's practically the only day of the year he thinks of something else than working, that day he just cares about having fun. -

- Heh, that doesn't change the fact that even the preparations are work for him. – Grandpa added. – I suppose he works like that because he feels he has to cover up for his father. Sometimes I wish there was more than a single Joke's Festival a year, he really needs them. -

Zelda said nothing else, but she seemed to take the words of Aryll and her grandparents. Of course, Link was a rather cheerful young man, but most of the time that fact was overshadowed by his almost-excessive work addiction. Maybe, now she thought about it, it would be interesting to see a… different facet of him.

- "What am I thinking?" – She said to herself upon realizing those silly ideas.

* * *

><p><em><strong>M<strong>__**eanwhile…**_

- Ilia… I don't think this is a good idea. -

- You're not backing out on me now, are you, Malon? -

Malon and Ilia were at the latter's home, "discussing" their plans. While Malon still thought that what they were going to do was wrong, she just didn't find the courage to say no to Ilia. She had already let herself get dragged into it; there was no turning back now.

- Fine, let's review it one more time, just to be sure. – Ilia said. – During the Joke's Festival at the town square, I'll create a distraction to keep You-know-who away from Link. And what will you do? -

- I'll sneak up behind her, to… to… - It was hard for her to say it out loud. – To put the hook on her dress. -

- And then, I'll pull the rope, and surprise! Our dear invader will be exposed in front of everyone. – Ilia concluded, smiling wickedly. – Hehe, this will be really, really fun. -

- If you say so… - Malon said.

- C'mon, once that invader is out of the way, I… WE can have Link for us… until he chooses one of us, that is. – The blonde added. Malon, however, still noticed Ilia intended to say "I can have Link for me".

- And… I assume that there's no reason for me to believe you won't do to me the same we're doing to Zelda? – Malon couldn't help but ask.

- Me? Aw, how can you say that? Of course not. – Ilia assured.

Malon was, however, not fully convinced. If Ilia was capable of going that far to take the "competition" out of the game, and if she (Malon) came to fall into that category, she doubted Ilia would touch her heart before doing something as bad or worse to her. For now, they were on the same side, but something was for sure, that alliance wouldn't last long.

- "For the Goddesses… how did I get in this mess?" -

* * *

><p><em><strong>On <strong>__**the Joke's Festival Day…**_

That morning, when Zelda woke up, she opened her eyes and couldn't see anything, and began screaming "Goddesses, what's happening? I'm blind!", but she stopped upon hearing some laughing close to her. After a couple of seconds, she realized that somebody had put a black blindfold on her eyes while she was sleeping, and said person was right in front of her, laughing out loud.

- You should have seen your face, it was priceless. – Obviously, it was Link.

- Hehe, this is a good one, I must admit it. – She said. She had been scared for a moment, but she had to acknowledge it had been a good joke.

- Nothing personal. – Link said. – Let's go down for breakfast, we're waiting for you. -

- You didn't put anything in the food, right? – Zelda asked.

- Not in yours. – Link smiled with a bit of mischief, before going out and closing the door.

Zelda felt somewhat suspicious with that comment. He had said "Not in yours". Maybe that meant that he was up to something for Grandpa, Grandma, or Aryll. It was an odd feeling, but for some reason, she was curious in getting to know better Link's side as a prankster. If it was true that he only let it out on that single day of the year, maybe she'd never have the chance to see it again.

Once they went downstairs, everybody was at the table, nothing out of usual, apparently. However, Zelda caught the glimpse of the grandparents and Aryll occasionally watching Link suspiciously, as if though they were expecting him to do something. A few minutes passed, and nothing happened, Grandpa then stood up and said:

- Alright, son, what are you up to now? -

- Me? You think I'm up to something, Grandpa? -

- Hmm… the breakfast has gone quiet… too quiet. – Grandpa said.

- Yeah… although… maybe in… 4… 3… 2… 1… -

_**PLOP! **_A black thing jumped off put of Grandpa's oat bowl, aside from splattering some oat on him, it pinned on his shirt. Grandpa fell backwards on his chair, and began shaking around.

- AAAHH, GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME! -

- Ah, hehe, you fell for it again, Grandpa. – Link said, grabbing the black thing. It was a spider, but not a real one; it was just a windup toy spider. Grandma and Aryll laughed out loud. Zelda held herself a bit, but she too found it fun.

- How embarrassing, Grandpa. – Aryll giggled. – Scared of a little spider? -

- It wasn't funny. – Grandpa groaned as he got back on his feet. – Where did you get that thing? -

- At the jokes shop, where else? – Link said, cleaning it with his tunic and placing it into his pocket.

- I'll go talk to them about whom they shouldn't sell their stuff. – Grandpa said, leaving the dining hall.

- Hmm, Grandpa has never liked bugs very much. – Aryll said.

- Is it that you like them, little sis? – Link asked, solemnly placing a hand on Aryll's shoulder, just like that.

- At least I'm not scared of them, unlike Grandpa. – She said.

- Not even of spiders? – Link asked.

- Of course not. -

- Ah, that's good, because you have a very big one on your shoulder. -

- Eh? What do you mean with…? AAAAHHH! GET OFF ME, GET OFF ME! -

- Hehe, it's a rubber spider, what did you think? – Link chuckled. – Didn't you say you weren't scared of them? -

- Brother, you're such a meanie! – Aryll puffed up her cheeks. – Someday I'll give you a payback. -

- Yeah, someday, but not today. – Link said, taking back the rubber spider. – Fine, I think we should get going. The festival is about to start. -

Link went and took a small pouch. You didn't need to be a genius to know, or at least suspect, what was inside of it. No doubt Link was planning on playing some innocent pranks around outside at the festival.

- Want to come along, Zelda? – Aryll asked.

- Eh? –

- Come on, it will be fun. – Aryll said. – What do you say, big brother? -

- Huh, me? – Link said, and then he stared at Zelda. – Well,… if she wants to. -

- Hmm… well, I've never been in a festival like this. – Zelda said. – I suppose I could go. It won't be dangerous, right? -

- No, of course not… unless you don't wanna take the risk of one or two innocent jokes over there, in that case… - Link said.

- Well… I don't know, if you will… -

- Hey, you don't have to worry about me. – Link assured. – I know my limits. -

- It's true, Zelda. – Aryll said. – My brother's jokes don't go any further than what you saw here. -

- Among other things… I think the blindfold was more than enough for you. – Link added. – No more jokes for today with you. -

- Hmm, well, if you put it that way, I suppose it's alright. – She finally accepted. The princess took her bag and left the home, holding Aryll's hand, while Link held Aryll's other hand. The elderly couple stared at them as they walked towards the town square for the festival. Grandma smiled.

- She's a really charming young lady, don't you think? – She commented.

- She certainly is. – The elderly blacksmith said. – Do you think she might be Link's type? -

- I don't know, it's possible. – Grandma said. – And Link has reached the age to know what he wants. -

- His father took a bit longer. – Grandpa added. – To be honest… I wouldn't mind if Link decides to rush things a bit more. He just needs to give the first step. -

Grandma nodded, she agreed with him. This young lady was more than just a guest at their home, and evidently Link had grown closer to her than he had with any other girl. She was beautiful, intelligent and sweet. It wouldn't be a bad prospect to have her in the family, right?

* * *

><p><em><strong>At the town square<strong>__**, later…**_

The entire square was full of people. Jokes everywhere, everybody laughing and having a lot of fun, even the victims of the jokes found them funny, and they eventually had their chances to get their revenge on the ones who had previously made fun of them. After all, that's what the Joke's Festival was all about.

Link, Zelda and Aryll walked around looking at the stands. Many of them sold souvenirs, others had games to win prizes, and also there were plenty of tables full of delicious snacks everywhere, although some of them included jokes inside, like having something spicy or something similar. Aryll fell for a cookie with "chocolate chips" actually being chili peppers colored in brown. Trying to find something to stop the burn in her mouth, she was given some "water" which colored her tongue green. Link, however, retaliated for her sister with the responsible, using the same trick with the windup spider he had used with his Grandpa, offering him some punch, placing the spider in his drink when he wasn't looking. The three of them laughed out loud, it was fun getting even for the joke. They walked around everywhere, although the girls were more as spectators to the jokes rather than participants. That was for Link, who knew each one of the tricks in the book and not even a single time was caught.

- You're incredible, how can you know every joke, big brother? – Aryll said.

- It's not that hard… with the jokes book Mom left us. – Link said.

- Too bad it's so hard to read. – Aryll said. – Otherwise, I could try some on you. -

- Heh, dream on, sister; not even with that you could get me. – Link said.

- Hey, Aryll, I could gladly teach you how to read hylian if you wish. – Zelda said.

- Really? Yaayyy! – Aryll cried out in joy. – You heard that, Link? When I know how to read hylian, you won't escape me. -

- We'll see about that. – Link said, unworried. – As for you, Zelda… how do you like the festival? -

- It's… great. I had never been in a festival like this before. – She said. – I don't remember the last time I had so much fun. -

- For the way you speak, anybody would say you grew locked up between four walls. – Link said.

Zelda said nothing, but Link had just hit a nerve with that comment. However, it was true. She never had had that kind of freedom in her whole life, not very often at least. And the fact of being in a company of a good friend was another point on her favor, because she could share it. She would miss that once she had returned to the castle. And should that be the case, maybe it would be best not to hurry in going back.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the square, a certain person was watching closely the movements of the trio with very evil eyes, due to the rage of seeing them together and happy, and also due to the impatience, as she was waiting for her "partner in crime", who showed up a few minutes later, gasping.

- You're late, Malon. – She said.

- Sorry, Ilia. – Malon said. – My cartwheel got stuck on mud on my way here and... -

- Save your excuses. – Ilia interrupted. – Do you have it with you? -

- Yeah, here it is. – Malon said, pulling out of her back a very thin rope, and a sharp hook for climbing.

- Alright, one last time. Our target is over there. – Ilia pointed towards Zelda, Link and Aryll. – Don't let her out of your sight, when she's distracted, put the hook in place, and I'll do the rest. Any questions? -

- N-no… - Malon said somberly.

- Now go sneak up over there and do your thing. – Ilia said, sounding more like a command than a request. Malon was about to leave, but suddenly, an even more evil idea flared up in Ilia's head. – Wait a second… I've just gotten a better idea. – Ilia said. – How about we make our dear invader to believe that Link was the one who made the joke? -

- Say what? –Malon asked.

- Yeah… if I put the other end of the rope in Link's pocket… - Ilia smiled evilly. – And if she thinks it was him who did the deed… maybe she won't like him so much anymore. -

- Ilia, you can't be serious. He'd never do such… -

- There's always a first time. – Ilia said, she seemed always to have a response ready at the tip of her tongue. – Do you want to get her out of the way or not? -

Malon didn't know what to say. She wouldn't be honest, whether she said "yes" or "no". She was in the middle point, struggling between doing the right thing, and following Ilia's game till the end. Not exactly sure how, she forced a nod with her head.

- OK. Take the rope, I'll be hiding here for the time being. – Ilia said, while hiding under one of the tables.

Malon walked towards Zelda, Link and Aryll. She froze for a moment upon seeing the scene. The three of them looked really happy, they were having lots of fun together. It was such a beautiful scene. And if she continued, she would break it all. Something inside her kept telling her that what she was doing was wrong, and she knew it very well. She was about to turn around and leave, when suddenly, she saw Link saying something to Zelda and then took his leave holding Aryll's hand. Zelda was now completely alone: it was the right moment. Driven by some unknown force within her, she walked towards Zelda when she turned her back on her, ready to place the hook on the dress… until…

- Huh? Ah, Malon, how are you? – Zelda turned around and greeted her.

- "Oh sheesh." – Malon thought, as she tried to hide the hook behind her. – H-hi, Zelda. -

- Are you having fun? I had never been in one of these festivals. – Zelda said.

- Really? – Malon said, trying to hide her nervousness, and at the same time to think how to distract Zelda's attention so as to do what she was supposed to. – Well… that's too bad, I certainly hope you enjoy this one. -

- It's really fun, although… I have already seen some people do go overboard with their jokes. -

- "You have no idea." – Malon thought. Her conscience gave her a discharge; after all, she was among those individuals.

- Malon, is anything wrong? -

- Ehm, well, I… -

Malon couldn't just think how to distract Zelda. She was supposed to sneak up to her and place the hook on Zelda's dress before she noticed, but now she had been caught, she had no idea on what to do. It sounded much easier when Ilia said it, but she had just realized it wasn't. Ilia, on the other hand, was starting to become impatient.

- Geez, Malon, what are you waiting for? Just do it at once! – She muttered through her teeth.

Zelda didn't understand why Malon looked so agitated and nervous, if that festival was supposed to be for messing around and having fun. The princess had not the slightest idea of the inner struggle taking place in the redhead's mind, between the friendship she had with Link, and of course with Zelda for her kindness, and that hidden desire of "getting rid of the competition" so as to have a chance of being more than just friends with Link, although the rational part of her conscience was intervening by saying that wasn't the right way of doing things.

- Ehm… hey, don't you wanna try out the jester cookies? – She said the first thing coming to her mind, pointing at a table where they were serving snacks.

- Huh? Hey, good idea, will you come with me? -

- I… I've already had some, thanks. -

- Well, as you wish. – And in that very instant, just as Zelda turned around to walk towards the table for some cookies, Malon placed the hook on her dress, turned around and fled like a bat out of hell, getting lost among the crowd, directly towards where Ilia was hidden.

- It was about time, you took way too long. – Ilia said. – Well, now let's go for part two, you know what you have to do. -

- Yeah, yeah, I know. – Malon said.

Malon peeked below the tables, trying to find Link. She didn't take long to spot him, as he was holding Aryll's hand, but that would be a problem, with her being close by she couldn't place the other end of the rope into Link's pocket. Her conscience was still urging her to stop, what she was doing was foolish, and she knew it very well. However, to her good or bad luck, at that very instant Colin showed up, and took Aryll with him to play, and Link was left alone. Not exactly sure how, she managed to sneak up to him, and really carefully, she slipped the rope's end into Link's tunic pocket. Immediately, she stood up, and made a gesture to Ilia.

- Alright, the time has come. – Ilia said, taking the rope, and watching how Zelda was enjoying herself with the cookies and other snacks on the table. – OK, invader, you're about to be "exposed". -

_**RIIIIIIIIIP!**_

- Eh? – Zelda suddenly felt an air current behind her legs, and she noticed everybody was looking at her, some of them trying to hold the laughter, others with… lust, maybe? She looked down to her hips, and she saw in horror that her skirt had been ripped open, leaving her undergarments and her rear exposed. - AAAAAAAAH! -

Her first reaction was to cover up her exposed parts as she could, in the middle of everybody's laughter, they couldn't hold it back anymore. The laughter echoed in her ears. Never, ever, in her whole life, she had felt so… embarrassed would be short, more like "humiliated", that would be a more proper term. She took a while to notice there was a sharp hook clawed to her dress where it had been ripped open. The rope went towards the other side of the town square, she followed it and she saw…

- It cannot be… -

She was speechless. She couldn't believe it was him, out of all people. If this was his idea of a joke, it wasn't fun at all. Furious, she followed the rest of the rope, which went directly towards none other than Link!

- LINK! – She yelled as she placed herself before him.

- Zelda, what…? -

_**SLAP**__**!**_

- Hey! What was that for? – Link rubbed his cheek, Zelda had just slapped him, and really hard.

- Is this your idea of a joke, Link? – She screamed in rage. – Ripping open my skirt so I… end up exposed like this in front of everyone? -

- What are you talking about? – Link didn't understand. – How could I…? -

- I thought you knew your limits. I'm in shock; I never thought you would do such a thing. –Zelda continued. – And didn't you say you had done enough with me today? -

- Hey, hold on for a second. – Link tried to defend himself. – It's true I do like making jokes, but I would never… -

- And how do you explain I found this hook used to rip open my skirt, attached to this rope which I followed here, exactly to you? – Zelda said. – If you were going to do it, you should at least have gotten rid of the incriminatory evidence, hadn't you? -

- What? That's not mine. – Link said. – Somebody must have placed it while I wasn't looking. -

- Yes, that's a very likely story. – Zelda said. – I misjudged you, Link. I had no idea you would be capable of this. -

- Hey, even if I had done it (and I didn't), you think I would be so stupid of keeping this? –

- You have just proven you are. -

- Zelda, I swear, I didn't… -

- Don't… talk… to me. – Zelda interrupted, threatening him with her index finger. – If you ever want to talk to me again, you could start by at least admitting your fault, as a real man. –

That said, Zelda turned on her feet, and still holding her ripped skirt she left the place, among the curious looks of everybody. Link ran after her, calling out her name, but she wouldn't listen. As they left, two girls observed the scene, one of them very happy, the other not so much.

- Mission accomplished. – Ilia said, smiling from ear to ear.

- Ilia, that was too much, don't you think? – Malon said.

- Bah, nonsense. – Ilia said. – It'll be enough to get rid of that invader. And I already told you, this will make no harm. -

- If you say so… -

Ilia left very satisfied of her deed, and with no remorse at all. Malon, on the other hand, was still tormented by her conscience. Maybe, just maybe, they had gone a bit too far with that joke. And she had no idea of the consequences on the long run their "little prank" might have.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two weeks later<strong>__**…**_

After the incident in the town square, Zelda was ready to pack her stuff and leave Link's home. The boy was still insisting that he didn't make that prank (and according to him, that was going too far), but she wouldn't listen. She was really furious, and even more for the fact Link had the nerve of denying what he (according to her) had done. But Link stubbornly repeated he was innocent, and he was sure somebody had set up a trap for him to frame him for it. Although, while he had some suspicions on who could have been, since he didn't dare pointing his finger at anybody with no proof, Zelda remained convinced of his guiltiness. The girl almost left the home, but the grandparents and Aryll managed to convince her not to do it, partly because they had grown fond of her, and partly to prevent her from leaving without making things up with Link. Feeling in debt for their hospitality, Zelda reluctantly agreed to stay; however, she didn't seem as eager as Link in making amends.

At the time of the meals, as soon as Link showed up, Zelda would pick up her plate and leave the table to eat at her room. The girl wanted to avoid any visual contact with him, and if he tried to say something to her, even just a "good morning" or anything else, her response would always be the same: an arctic-like cold shoulder. The Princess had taken on a daily routine to minimize the contact she would have with Link: after breakfast, she would spend the morning at the library doing her "usual homework", then she would return home for lunch, and just as soon as she had finished she would leave again. Link had no idea where did she go or what did she do in the afternoons, but she requested specifically that they didn't follow her, neither that they asked her any questions.

The place where Zelda went in the afternoons was a clearing near the town's outskirts, very close to the path going from Ordon to Lon Lon Ranch, at the border of what they called "The Lost Woods". So-called because they were a real labyrinth, and if you got lost in there, it would be virtually impossible to get out. It was a place nobody usually went, and it had become an "escape sanctuary" for Zelda. Having nothing better to do to kill time, and as a way to relieve herself of the stress she had accumulated in the past two weeks, the Princess had brought along one of her books of magic to practice complicated spells. At this moment, she was trying a teleportation spell. On the book's page, it read as following:

"_**FARORE'S WIND:**__ A spell to disappear and reappear in another place. It is believed that this spell was bequeathed by the Goddess of Courage herself to the Oracle of Secrets who bears her same name. In order to successfully perform this spell, three basic principles are required._

_Destination: The mind must be set on the desired location._

_Determination: You must wish to occupy the envisioned place._

_Decision: You must feel that you move into nowhere, and then you return in the desired place." _

For practice, Zelda traced a couple of circles on the ground. The idea of this was to try and move from the inside of one of them towards the inside of the other. They were about ten meters away from each other, which, according to the book, should be enough for the beginners to practice. There were also some warnings about the spell, one of them being that, at a greater distance, there would be a greater difficulty in teleporting. Also it could be more complicated if it was made along with another person. Should it be performed wrong, the results could be disastrous, and even fatal, due to the risk of not moving completely and leaving "something" behind. Another risk, maybe less dangerous to a certain extent, could be not reappearing on the right place, either falling short or going further than expected.

- "Alright, let's do it." – Zelda thought, beginning to concentrate, while she was inside the circle. – "Destination: I must focus my mind on the inside of the other circle. Determination: I wish to the utmost to occupy the circle. Decision: I shall move into nowhere, and then reappear inside the circle." -

A green energy aura formed around Zelda, creating what looked like a luminous ribbon, which "wrapped up" around her, and a second later, she vanished in a burst of green light.

It was only a matter of three or four seconds, but Zelda felt like it was much longer. She felt as if though her body was being pressed on from everywhere, she couldn't breathe, she felt as though there were iron bars pressed against her chest; her eyes were being forced towards inside her head; her eardrums were being pushed deeper into her skull and then…

- Uff… that was… unpleasant. – She gasped.

She was feeling as though she had just been forced out of a narrow rubber tube. She looked down to her feet, and she noticed she hadn't reappeared inside the circle as she had expected, but she had gone about two or three meters further. Well, she had managed to move herself in a single piece, and that was a progress. Not letting herself be discouraged, Zelda tried it again. She realized that, as she became more used to the sensation, it became less uncomfortable, however, she didn't manage to reappear on the right place.

After a couple of hours of practice, she felt tired, she had used a lot of magic, so she sat down to rest for a bit. She came to realize that having "other things" in her mind made harder for her to concentrate. She scolded herself for it, why couldn't she get it off of her head? Or rather, why couldn't she get HIM off of her head?

Even at that distance, she heard the bells at town, ringing 5 pm, so she decided to call it a day. She picked up her stuff and went back to town.

Upon returning to Link's home, she heard hammer sounds on the workshop. Through the window she saw that Link was hammering there, and she stopped to look at him for a bit. Well, at the very least he didn't slack off, he was a hard worker; she had to hand it to him. Link's eyes suddenly looked up and stopped in Zelda's. He stopped his hammering, giving her a look of… "hope", maybe? Zelda couldn't help that, for a split second, Link's look touched her, but her pride stepped in, causing her to assume a hard expression, and ignoring Link she entered the house. In doing so, Zelda didn't notice that Link's face morphed into complete despondence in a blink. That definitely hurt him more than a slap.

- What's the matter, son? – Grandpa asked, he was at the other side, casting some iron. - Zelda is still mad at you? -

- Apparently. – Link said.

- Give her some time. – Grandpa said, placing his hand on Link's shoulder. – She's not a bad girl. -

- I know… - Link sighed. – I just wish she would listen to me… -

Inside the house, Grandma and Aryll were preparing dinner. It smelled really good, however, Zelda was upset to the point she had no appetite. She went upstairs, walked into her room and locking up her door, she sat on her bed.

She remained like that for a while. She didn't have a clock, but judging by the sun setting in the sky through her window, probably it had been a couple of hours. Her mind was set in a single thing… that tender look Link had given to her…

- "Fool…" – She thought. – "If only he had apologized…" -

Zelda didn't know where that came from. While it was true she was mad at him, it wasn't less true that she would have been willing to forgive him if he had apologized. After all, while it had been a really bad-taste joke, it wasn't more than that, a joke. And inside, deep inside, she didn't want to be at odds with him. But he had to do his part too, she thought, he had to acknowledge his fault.

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

- Who is it? – Zelda asked, in bad mood. If it was Link she wouldn't open the door, unless he came to apologize.

- Aryll. – A little voice answered. – May I come in? -

Zelda didn't respond, but she opened the door. The little girl had brought a tray with food for her.

- You didn't come down for dinner. – Aryll said, somewhat shivering.

- I wasn't hungry. – Zelda said, trying not to sound harsh. The young woman took the tray to relieve little Aryll of her load, but she placed it on her bedside table. Next, she sat on the edge of her bed. Aryll approached her, and after a moment of silence, she decided to speak up.

- You're still mad at my brother, aren't you? – She asked.

- Hmm… - Zelda looked away.

- Well… he still says he didn't do it. – Aryll said.

- Did he say that? – Zelda asked, she evidently wasn't going to buy it.

- I know my brother likes to have fun on the Joke's Festival… but he never goes THAT far. – Aryll continued.

- There's always a first time. – Zelda said.

- Zelda… I know my brother well. He is… he's a good boy. – Aryll said. – And well… I know he's not one who tells lies, neither does he take credit for things he didn't do. If he says he didn't do it… it's because he didn't do it. -

Zelda stared at her eyes. The innocence of the little girl might have some influence in it, so she wanted to believe in and defend her brother, and it was comprehensible. Still, while Aryll was clearly nervous for talking to Zelda like that, she sounded very sure about what she said.

- Well… I'll go sleep now. See you tomorrow. – She said before leaving the room.

Aryll disappeared behind the closed door. Zelda pondered on what she had just said. Link was still bent on insisting that he didn't do that joke. And as odd as it might seem, part of Zelda wanted to believe it, after all, Link had been very kind and welcoming to her since her arrival, and furthermore, he had been a good friend. But the other, insisted that believing in him implied to accept that she was wrong, and she didn't want to lower herself to that. However, the possibility existed. What if Link was telling her the truth? What if he hadn't done it after all? Certainly, she didn't see him doing the deed, so it was possible, although she thought it was improbable, that somebody else might have done it and have him take the blame. But who would do something like that, and why? Plus, there was all what she had said to him. How could she take it back, knowing that it had been really horrible? A terrible thought assaulted her in that very moment: if Link was innocent… she had made a grave mistake, by being so cold and harsh to him.

- "I'm so confused…" – She thought, lowering her head and burying it between her hands. – "What am I supposed to do? What should I believe?" -

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next day<strong>__**…**_

It was close to midday, and Link had been working on the forge since daybreak, trying to shape a sword's blade. He was slamming the hammer harder than usual, although more due to his rage than anything else. His grandfather warned him not to hit so hard, or else he could end up screwing up the works for hammering harder than he should. However, at that moment he saw no other escape to let out his frustrations. Now he was trying to spend more time inside his workshop, in an attempt to keep his mind busy, and away from those thoughts. Since he had had that row with Zelda, his moodiness had been affecting everything he did, for the worse.

He had ceased his attempts to talk to her; after all, Zelda wasn't willing to listen to him. She was still angry for what had happened in the Joke's Festival, and he couldn't blame her, considering that it had been a huge public humiliation. But he wasn't the one responsible. Somebody had set a trap for him, that was for sure. But who, and more importantly, why?

- Ouch! – Link slammed so hard a red spark flew off the red-hot blade and landed on his cheek, very close to his eye. – Goddesses… why am I screwing up everything? -

- Hi, Link. – Somebody suddenly greeted him. Link turned around, and he saw it was Malon.

- Hey, Malon. – He replied, trying not to sound moody.

- Are you alright? – She asked. – You seem… upset. -

- It's nothing. – He said, although Malon saw through him.

- Don't lie to me. – Malon said. – Something's wrong with you. -

- Ah, who cares? – Link said. – You shouldn't trouble yourself for me. -

- Don't you wanna talk about it? – Malon asked. – If you want, we could go for a drink, and you tell me what's wrong. -

- Thanks, but no thanks. I don't feel like it right now. –

This time, Malon noticed a shadow of sadness in Link's face, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Malon watched as Link finally threw aside the hammer, and went to sit on a bench, clearly depressed. Something inside Malon urged her to approach him.

- Link… is it for Zelda? Is she still… mad at you? -

- Saying she's mad falls short. – Link replied. – I'd say, it's more like she hates me. She hasn't talked to me for two weeks. And all because of that accursed incident at the town square. -

- Hey, surely she's going to get over it. – Malon said, trying to cheer him up. – After all… it was just a joke, right? -

- But I didn't do it! – Link yelled out, indignant. Upon noticing Malon was a bit scared for his yelling, he tried to call down. – And she won't believe me. -

- Haven't you… tried to talk to her? Where is she? -

- I don't know, and I don't care, for that matter. – Link said. – She's been going out daily, sometimes for hours, and I don't know where she goes or what she does. If she doesn't want me to meddle in her business, then so be it. But I wish I could… -

Link held himself for a bit. Something inside him felt as though he was about to explode. But he couldn't hold it back anymore; he needed to let it out.

- I just wanna find the accursed buffoon who did this to me. – Link said, cracking his knuckles. – I swear, if I ever find them… they'll pay dearly. -

Malon gulped down upon hearing those words. Link was really furious, his voice sounded as though he wanted to tear apart the person who had framed him. And little did he know, said person was little less than a meter away from him. A spark of remorse lit up within Malon, and the voice of her conscience spoke up: "It's your fault, you did it." The guilt was choking her. She wanted to confess everything, but she was scared, she was afraid of how would Link react when he found out.

- Well… while you find them… maybe you should … keep trying to talk to Zelda. – Malon said, doing a supreme effort. – At least, have her to listen to you. She's a good girl, I'm sure she'll do it if you know how to approach her. -

- You think so? – Link asked, but Malon didn't say anything else. Link exhaled a sigh and continued. – I guess I have nothing to lose. I'll try and find her. -

- Yeah, you should. – Malon said. – Well, I have to go do my delivery. See you later. -

Malon left the workshop, and went back to her cartwheel. She scolded herself but not telling him the truth, but she was too scared to do it. She knew Link appreciated her as a friend, and she didn't want to risk herself to lose that friendship. She pondered on her own behavior, if she had gone that far so as to get Link's affection, maybe she wasn't the right girl for him. Maybe he deserved someone better… someone like Zelda.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A bit later<strong>__**…**_

Link was walking around the town, asking everyone he ran into if they had seen Zelda. If she wasn't at the library, he had no idea where else could she be. Lon Lon Ranch was too far to go on foot, and she had not taken Cloud out of the stable, so it was ruled out. He went to the Milky Bar, but Mr. Barten told him he had not seen her for days, more specifically since the Joke's Festival, after that incident. He even stopped by at the elementary school, asking Colin if, perchance, he had seen her over there, but the little boy said no. After a long while of walking around hopelessly, he sat on a bench at the town square. Where else could Zelda be?

- Hey there, Link! – Somebody suddenly greeted him. Link looked up and saw Ilia, quite more cheerful than usual.

- Hey. – He replied in a low voice, barely raising his hand. She was the last person he wanted to see in that moment.

- What's wrong? Why the long face? – Ilia asked, even though she was fully aware of the reason.

- None of your business. – He replied.

- C'mon, Link, tell me, what's wrong? – She said, taking a seat next to him. Link in response tried to move away to keep his distance from her. – We're friends, aren't we? -

- "We're friends?" – Link thought in that moment, looking at her sidelong. He couldn't say "yes" honestly, so he said nothing. Once upon a time they were friends, but now, he wasn't so sure. For quite a while Ilia had no interest in being "friends" with him, and Link knew it well.

- Hey, wanna go to the Milky Bar for a drink? My treat. – Ilia offered.

- No, thanks. – Link replied curtly.

- C'mon, it'll be good for you. – She insisted.

- I said no. –

- Hmm… - Ilia frowned. – Let me guess… you're still at odds with that Zelda girl. -

Link just limited himself to glare at her, like saying "You're a sharp one" but he didn't talk. And for some reason, he had the feeling that Ilia didn't feel sorry about him for having that row with Zelda.

- Please, don't go getting bitter over her. – She said, placing her hand on his shoulder. – She's just a fool, not worth your time. -

- She's not a fool at all. – Link replied.

- Buf, if she went all mad like that for just a simple joke... – Ilia said.

- What do you know? – Link snapped back as he stood up, ready to get away from her.

- Where're you going? -

- That's none of your business. – He said as he started to walk away.

- Link, wait. -

- Leave me alone! – He yelled, furious. – Get… out… of… my way. -

Scared at Link's furious face, Ilia obliged immediately, even though deep inside she was enraged at the fact Link didn't want to pay any attention to her. Evidently, trying to separate him from Zelda didn't have the expected result.

Link walked around again, he was so upset he wasn't paying much attention to his path, but fortunately, everybody walked past him upon seeing his face, transfigured for the anger. He strolled for a bit, until, without realizing, he had reached the west exit of the town. Not many people used this path, as it went towards Lon Lon Ranch and usually only the cartwheel driven by Malon and Cremia for their deliveries would use it sometime. After taking a few seconds to try and mellow his anger, he thought maybe he could take a little stroll over there, perhaps it would help him calm down. Lacking a better way of entertaining himself, he began kicking around the stones across the path, a somewhat foolish way of channeling his anger, but it was better than doing it with another person. Being in such bad mood, he thought, perhaps it would be better to postpone his search for Zelda for a bit. He didn't want to catch her being mad and get things even worse than they were.

- Hmm? – Link suddenly stopped. About 300 meters away from him, behind a bunch of trees, he thought he had seen a burst of green light for a split second. – Must have been my imagination. -

But it wasn't. About ten seconds later, he saw a similar burst of light. Even though he didn't know who or what could have caused it, he ran off to find out. He reached a clearing very close of the entrance to what in town they called "The Lost Woods", and… there she was.

- What's she doing here? – It was kinda ironic having found her just when he had decided not to look for her anymore. – Should I rather ask, what's THAT she's doing? -

Link noticed Zelda was standing on a circle she had traced on the ground, mumbling something he didn't hear, her hands were placed as if though she was praying and her eyes closed. Link almost lost his breath when he saw a green light forming in her hands, and expanded until surrounding her completely. A green light burst, and Zelda had vanished. Link could see a luminous green form, similar to an aurora borealis, moving across the air, floating towards another circle at about 20 meters of distance. The luminous form landed on it, and seconds later it once again materialized into Zelda. The young woman fell to her knees and put her hands on her chest, gasping a bit.

- I made it, I've finally made it… - She whispered, upon seeing she was inside the circle.

She smiled in pride as she got back up, but she soon realized she was not alone. Link was there, he evidently had witnessed her performing of the teleportation spell. Zelda's glare was more than enough to tell Link without words that he had just seen something he shouldn't have. Both of them remained silent, as if though they were waiting for the other to say something, looking fixedly at each other. Finally, after what seemed like a millennium, Link spoke up.

- I… I didn't know… you could do that. –

- Did you see it? – Zelda asked, in a warning tone. – Did you see everything? -

- I… didn't mean to. I just was walking around here and… -

- If you tell this to anyone… I shall never forgive you. – It sounded like a threat.

- Why should I do it? – Link said, trying to control his nerves.

- In any case… what are you doing here? – Zelda asked. – I thought I had told you, I didn't want you to follow me. -

- I didn't follow you. How could I know you were here? – Link defended himself. That wasn't a lie; he had just walked by that place by mere chance. Of course, just a while before he had been looking for her, without success.

- Well… if you are done with your business here… leave me alone with mine… please. – She said, adding up the last word in the end so it would sound as a simple request and not an order.

Link for a moment thought he should oblige, and turned around, but just as he walked two steps, something within him stopped him. He had been looking all over for her, and he had finally found her. The two of them were alone, nobody would disturb them there. That was the perfect moment, it was now or never.

- No. – He said, turning around to face her. – First… I need to talk to you. -

- About what? – She asked, although she foresaw his answer.

- Zelda… that incident at the square, I assure you, I didn't… -

- If you're going to make more excuses, you can save your breath. – Zelda said, emphatic. – Why don't you behave like a man and admit your fault? -

- Zelda, I'm just asking you to listen to me for a bit… - He said as he began walking towards her.

- We have nothing to talk about. – She turned her back on him.

- Zelda, please. – He said getting a hold of her shoulders to have her turn around and force her to look at him face to face.

- Let me go! – She screamed, struggling to try and break free.

- I'll do it when you calm down, and listen to what I have to say. – Link replied, still holding her, but trying not to hurt her.

- I said let me go! – Zelda screamed as though if she was being victim of some harasser, eventually, among so much struggling, she extended one of her arms and…

_**SLAP**__**! **_The hard slap caught Link completely off-guard. Despite her fragile appearance, Zelda was able to land her hand really hard, even more than the last time, if that was possible, leaving a red mark on his cheek. And he hadn't yet gotten over the shock for the slap when Zelda kicked him on the shin.

- OWOWOWOW! – Link cried, holding the place where she kicked him.

- I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU! I HATE YOU! – She screamed with all her forces before turning around and running off into the nearby woods.

- ZELDA! GET BACK HERE! – Link screamed.

- GET AWAY FROM ME! – Was her response, she went in deeper and deeper.

Link ran after her, pleading her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. When he was about to catch up to her, me managed to see for a split second that she had grabbed a low tree branch, she pulled it back and let it go in order to smack him in the face. Link stepped back upon receiving the smack of the branch, he tripped over a root and fell backwards, hitting his head, while Zelda kept running, trying to get away from him.

Link took a few minutes to regain consciousness, and remember what he was doing. He had a large lump on the back of his head, but the pain was unimportant to him once he remembered what had happened. Zelda had gone into what they called in town "The Lost Woods". The place was a real labyrinth, it was really hard to get out if you entered there, and also it was full of very dangerous beasts.

- "I have to find her… I have to find Zelda…" – He said, as he went deeper into the woods. He was one of the few people who knew them well enough to not get lost. If Zelda became lost and something happened to her… it would be his fault. He couldn't allow that.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Into the Lost Woods<strong>__**, a bit later…**_

Zelda stopped running once her stamina ran out. She had finally gotten Link out of her sight, but in doing so she had become lost herself, and now she had no idea where she was. Not like she cared too much, of course. She sat under a large tree to regain her breath. She would think later how to get out of there.

The treetops covered the sunlight so much the woods were pretty dark, even though it was midafternoon. She had to admit she felt a bit scared, being all alone and lost in that place. Well, she had run straight ahead most of the time, she simply would need to go back the same way she came… or so she thought. Apparently, in her rush for getting away from Link she didn't pay much attention to her path. She just wanted to escape.

- That branch must have hit him hard on his face… - She suddenly said, not talking to anyone in particular. – Well, I'd say it's the least he deserves. -

Even though she said it out loud, her thoughts were different. She was lost, and Link was probably the only one who could have gotten her out of there, he knew that forest like the palm of his hand. But in that moment, her pride said that she didn't want to know anything about Link. That was an absolute no-no. Suddenly, she heard the noise of grass and branches crackling.

- What was that? – She asked. – Who's there? -

Zelda stood up, and looked around in every direction. Soon, the crackling sounds were accompanied by snake-like hissing. In that moment she remembered: She had been warned that the Lost Woods were full of dangerous savage beasts, and the realization hit her head, whatever was the thing getting close to her, it definitely wasn't human.

Zelda prepared to receive her attacker, whatever it was, she placed her hands together and formed a white energy sphere between them, ready anytime to throw it to whatever was stalking her. Moving cautiously, she listened and try to evaluate where the hissing sounds came from. Just in that moment, she heard a shriek on her left, and something huge jumped towards her out of a bush.

- AAHH! -

_**POP! **_Without looking, Zelda instinctively released the energy sphere towards her attacker, and it exploded in a burst of white light upon impact. The thing that attacked her let out a wail and crumbled before her. Once she could see it well, she realized it was a venomous Lizalfos, a creature very similar to an overgrown lizard, but with forelegs longer and bulkier than the rear legs, with long, sharp claws, and very poisonous fangs. She could still hear hissing around her, so Zelda quickly deducted that there were more of them waiting for their chance to attack. Not wanting to deal with them anymore, and forgetting about how tired she was, she began running off not caring about the direction, she just wanted to escape, but the reptiles wouldn't let her get away so easily and they immediately gave chase.

- HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE! – She cried out, wishing, more than believing, that somebody would be close enough to hear her.

Zelda kept running, trying to lead the Lizalfos astray, turning and zigzagging between the trees, not paying much attention to her surroundings. Eventually, to her back luck, she didn't see a bunch of thin roots protruding out of the ground; she tripped over with them, and fell. When she tried to get up, she realized her foot had become tangled in the roots, so she desperately tried to force it off, but while she was at it, the Lizalfos, four of them, caught up to her, and to her horror the biggest of them was ready to jump over her. Zelda put her hands in front of her face, she didn't want to see.

- ZELDA! – A voice suddenly screamed, and in the blink of an eye, she heard the sound of a blade piercing through flesh and a horrifying wail of pain. Hopeful, but still shaken, Zelda looked, and she saw it was Link, with his back turned at her, and the Lizalfos was laying inert on the ground, with blood pouring out of its neck, the same blood dripping in the blade of Link's sword.

- L…Link? – She couldn't believe just a few minutes ago she had wanted to get away from him, and now, she couldn't be happier to see him.

- COVER YOURSELF! – Link screamed.

Zelda was too scared to not to oblige, and not wasting a second she hid behind a tree at a good distance, as she watched how the three remaining lizards charged to attack Link, the young Hylian evaded the first attack, and holding his sword with a firm hand, he stabbed it on the back of its head. The second one tried to attack him by lashing at him with his claws, and one of those lashes was so hard he lost his shield and received a wound on the upper right arm. Link stepped back, the shield was out of his reach, so the lizard continued its fierce assault, while Link tried to keep it at bay with sword slashes. The lizard managed to scratch Link's left flank, but ignoring both the pain and the blood, he delivered a hard blow with the sword's blade to its head, and even Zelda could almost hear the skull cracking. However, as this one crumbled, the last one circled Link, and took the chance to attack him from behind; it jumped opening its jaws, exposing its fangs.

- AAAAAARRRGHHH! – Link screamed when the beast's jaws closed on his left shoulder.

- LINK! – Zelda cried out, horrified for what she had just seen, and ignoring her fears she left her hideout, but before she could do anything, Link, somehow finding the strength, buried his sword on the reptile's stomach to force it to let go of him, and ignoring everything else, focusing all his vigor in a supreme effort, he turned around and chopped off its head with a single quick slash, finishing it off.

The reptile's beheaded body crumbled inert next to its head. Link barely had a second to taste his victory, because at that very moment everything became blurred. The effects of the venom in the Lizalfos' bite began manifesting. His arms suddenly felt heavy, and his hand couldn't hold the sword anymore, he fell to his knees. He was barely able to see Zelda running frantically towards him, and then kneeling down to hold him.

- Link! For the love of Nayru, how could…! -

- Zelda… - He spoke with difficulty, his eyelids felt heavy, but he was making an effort to keep them open, he saw she was really distressed over him.

- Don't talk, save your strength! I need to get you out of here! -

- Zelda… I swear… - Just talking was hard to him, but he managed to carry on: - … for my parents… I didn't… do it… -

And after those words, he passed out. Horrified for a moment, Zelda had to calm down, and after checking his pulse and breathing she realized he was still alive. The best she could do for the time being was to stop the bleeding, so she used her powers to cast a healing spell to close the wounds. But there was still the problem of the venom. She know he should be able to hold on for a couple of hours before the venom killed him, but she didn't have any antidotes or something, and she couldn't get him out of the woods by dragging him, between the beasts and Link's weight, she would never make it in time to the town.

- There's only one way… I must do it … - She said.

The teleportation spell was too hard, and Zelda had not been able to move more than 20 meters at her best, and she wasn't sure how far she was from the woods entrance. Furthermore, it was more complicated to do with another person in tow, and it could be fatal if it was performed wrongly. Also there was the risk of someone seeing her appear from nowhere. But having no other choice, Zelda began to concentrate. It was her only hope to save him. Focusing with all her might in the woods entrance, she cast her teleportation magic. A green light surrounded both of them, and upon dissipating, they were gone.

Zelda kept her eyes shut the whole time, as she once again experienced that sensation of being pulled through a thin rubber tube, along with Link, who was still unconscious. A few seconds later, when the sensation was over, Zelda opened her eyes, and she realized, to her great relief, that she had succeeded: she had reappeared out of the woods entrance next to the path. However, by teleporting herself at that distance, she had been drained out, and she was still a bit far from Ordon, and the clinic. Resigned, and with no other choice, she tried to carry Link, but he was too heavy, and she didn't boast a particularly strong complexion, so all she could do was dragging him, with a lot of difficulty.

- Goddesses… I'm begging you… please help me, don't let Link die because of me… - She begged, as she tried to drag Link's heavy body back to town.

As in response to her plight, Zelda heard the noise of horses approaching, and when she looked at the path, she noticed a cartwheel approaching. Hopeful, she let go of Link for a moment and ran off to the path, waving her arms in the air to catch their attention:

- HELP, PLEASE! OVER HERE! – The cartwheel's driver seemed to notice her, and it suddenly picked up the pace to approach her. Upon getting closer, Zelda saw the driver was none other than Malon.

- Zelda? – Malon said, holding her horses and getting off the vehicle. – What's the matter, what are you doing here? -

- There's no time, please, you have to help me, it's Link. – Was all that she could say, as she got a hold of Malon's arm and dragged her to the wounded young man.

- Holy Goddesses, what happened to him? – Malon gasped, covering her mouth with her hands upon seeing him lying on the ground and covered in blood.

- We were attacked in the Lost Woods. A Lizalfos bit him. – Zelda explained.

- A Lizalfos? – Malon immediately caught the message, and not wasting any time she helped Zelda carry Link and place him on the back of the cartwheel, it was easier by doing it together. Zelda stayed next to Link, while Malon returned to the driver's seat. – We must go back to town now. Yah! -

_**SNAP! **_Malon snapped the ropes and turning around she rushed her horses to return to town as soon as possible. She would be late in going back to the ranch, but Link's life was at stake. Along the way, Zelda explained what had happened, Link had tried to talk to her, and in response she only began another fight, which ended with her recklessly running off into the woods, and then she was attacked by the Lizalfos and rescued (again) by Link, omitting of course the part of how she had managed to get him out of there, but fortunately, Malon did not ask any more questions. Afterwards, they didn't cross a single word with each other, but Malon occasionally looked into the cartwheel, watching Zelda cradling the unconscious Link in her lap, looking really worried and distressed over him. The redhead felt a burden in her conscience, after all, albeit indirectly, she had been partly responsible for their current situation.

Fortunately, they arrived to town with no mishaps, and they took Link to the clinic. The doctors immediately took him in. Zelda decided to stay, but Malon left, she said she still had to go back to the ranch, but promising that she would be back later. Which was only in part true, since, however, Malon had another place in mind to go before returning home.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At the Mayor's home<strong>__**, a bit later…**_

- ILIA! OPEN THE DOOR! ILIA! -

Malon was furiously screaming and slamming the door, not caring at all that it was the Mayor's home, neither that everybody was looking at her for the uproar she was making. She was lucky that the mayor had gone that afternoon to take care of some business and was not at home at the time; otherwise he could have probably arrested her for the scandal. She had to talk very seriously with Ilia. That "innocent trick" the girl had set up to separate Link from Zelda had just gone a bit too far.

- ILIA! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! – Malon kept screaming. – COME OUT NOW, WE NEED TO TALK! -

- I'm coming, I'm coming! – Malon heard downstairs steps, and she stopped slamming the door, but she still had her fists clenched. A few seconds later, Ilia opened the door, it was evident that Malon had caught her in the middle of a bath, as she had a towel covering her body, and another one rolled up in her hair. – What's the matter? -

- What's the matter? You're asking me what's the matter? – Malon said, trying to control the rage in her voice. – The matter is that your stupid prank almost cost Link and Zelda's lives! You promised nobody would get hurt, Ilia! -

- Woah, woah, easy now! – Ilia said, using a hand to hold her towel, and the other to prevent Malon from jumping over her. – What are you talking about? -

- Where have you been, since you don't know? – Malon said. – A couple of hours ago, Link and Zelda had another fight, and do you know what happened? Zelda ran into the Lost Woods, Ilia! The Lost Woods! -

- So? Isn't it better that way, having her vanish in there so she won't be a nuisance to us? – Ilia said, as if she didn't care.

- How can you say that? – Malon couldn't understand how she could be so insensible. – Ilia, you know very well those woods are a real labyrinth, and they're also plagued of dangerous beasts. -

- Alright, I know, but it's her fault for entering, not ours. – Ilia argued.

- I'm not done yet. – Malon said. – Link had to go after her; you know he's the only one who knows those woods. -

- Well, and I suppose he managed to rescue her, and you're happy for it, right? – Ilia said. – Then now you can leave me… -

- I SAID I'M NOT DONE YET! – This time Malon didn't hold her breath and yelled at her with all her forces, Ilia almost fell backwards. - LINK ENDED UP GETTING HURT FOR PROTECTING HER, THEY WERE ATTACKED BY LIZALFOS IN THE WOODS! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN, HE COULD HAVE DIED! -

- WHAT? – These news did alarm Ilia. – For the Goddesses! Tell me he's alright, tell me he's not…! -

- Don't worry, he will survive. – Malon felt more at ease. She had been able to unleash all her anger in that yell. – And we should be grateful to Zelda for it. I don't know how, but she managed to treat her wounds and get him out of there. -

- That… the new girl… she…? -

- Do you see where did your "little prank" ended up? – Malon interrupted. – Link and Zelda could have been killed because of your stupidity, Ilia. The game's up. I'll tell them everything. -

- What? You would betray me like that? -

- I should have never done that in the first place. Not after Zelda was so kind and generous to me. – Malon said. She was furious, really furious with Ilia, but not as much as she was with herself. – Not even for Link. I have decided, I'll tell them the truth, and I hope they'll forgive me for being so stupid. -

- Don't you care that Link could…? -

- I couldn't care less about what you have to say, Ilia. Zelda is a great girl… and I can't blame Link if he's attracted to her. He deserves someone better than me, and definitely someone better than you. –Malon said, before turning around and running away.

- Malon! Malon, get back here! Malon! -

But Malon wouldn't listen to her anymore. She ran with a firm step away from the house, ignoring her screams. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At the town's clinic<strong>__**…**_

Zelda was sitting on the waiting room, her head lowered, and playing with her thumbs. She seemed really uneasy, and she had good reasons to be. She wasn't worried about Link, she knew he would be OK, she had used her powers to heal his wounds as best as he could, and now the doctors were tending to him, extracting the venom. No, what she was really worried about was, how was she supposed to look at him now?

The last few days she had been really cold to him. She was still upset because of that incident, but Link kept insisting that he hadn't done it. And Aryll had told her that, even though Link liked playing jokes for that day, he never went overboard, he knew his limits. And also that never, ever in his life, she had heard him say a lie, he would never take credit for a deed he didn't do, including jokes. Furthermore, even though she yelled at him, she insulted him and even slapped him before running off into the Lost Woods in such an imprudent manner, Link still went after her, and confronted those Lizalfos just to protect her, not caring about his own safety. She didn't know what to do. She felt guilty for treating him so bad.

- Zelda! Here you are. -

- Eh? Ah, hello there, Malon, what's the matter? – Zelda said, upon seeing the redhead entering the room.

- I need to talk to you. – Malon said. – By the way, how's Link? -

- The doctors said he would be fine, don't worry. – Zelda said. – What did you want to talk with me? -

- About… it's so hard, I don't even know where to begin. – Malon said. – Well, it's about the… incident in the town square. -

- What does that have to do? – Zelda asked. She didn't care about that accursed incident anymore, neither about being ridiculed in front of all those people. All she cared about was being sure that Link would be alright.

- It's just that… well, none of that was Link's fault. – Malon said, with difficulty.

- Say what? -

- Look… I know you and Link have been in a row because of that all these days and… - Malon's voice was faltering, she seemed to need to gather up courage to say everything, but she felt that she would explode if she didn't let it out. – It was me… I mean, it was me and Ilia who… -

- Wait a moment, Malon, what are you talking about? -

- It was Ilia's idea, but I was foolish enough to let myself get dragged into it. – Malon said. – She was the one who pulled the rope, but I slipped the other end into Link's pocket so… -

- It was you two who did that? – Zelda asked in disbelief. – But… why? -

- Ilia hasn't taken very well all the attention Link has been giving to you, you know? – Malon said. – She was the one who planned all that mess to have you and Link get in a row, but she needed my help. And… foolish me, I let her persuade me. -

- And all these days I… - Zelda felt a pain in her chest. Her concern for Link now was mixed with guilt. Link wasn't lying, he hadn't done it. And she didn't believe him. – But… I don't understand, why would you…? -

- You know very well that many girls in town, myself included, really like Link, don't you? – Malon said. – Well, the truth is, he has never given any of us many hopes. Maybe that's why Ilia had never gone so paranoid … until you showed up. -

- Me? But what do I have to do with anything? – Zelda didn't understand.

- Isn't it obvious? – Malon said. – Link likes you, Zelda, anybody can see that. That's why Ilia see you as a threat; she wants Link for herself, as if though he was her property. She couldn't stand the idea of seeing him with some girl other than her… and to be honest maybe neither would I. -

Zelda tried to say something, but she couldn't talk. She couldn't believe what Malon was telling her.

- But that's enough. – Malon continued. – What I did was wrong, no matter the reason. Should I had known things would come to this… no, I should have never done it in the first place. Especially, after you've been so nice to me all this time. -

- Malon… why have you told me this? -

- Because it's the right thing. – Malon said. – And also… because I cannot stand seeing Link depressed because of my stupidity. Talk to him, you need to make amends. -

- But… how am I supposed to look at him after all I said to him, and the way I treated him? -

Zelda was utterly ashamed. How could she talk to Link after saying all those horrible things, undeserving things? Malon seemed to take notice of her feelings, and something urged her to approach Zelda, and without saying a word she hugged her.

- Malon? -

- I know Link will forgive you, he never holds resentment to anyone. – Malon said, as the tears began falling down her cheeks. – And I hope… you too can forgive me for what I've done. I… I never meant to hurt you. -

- Malon… - Zelda had to make a huge effort to hold back her own tears, but the remorse, and the realization that Malon felt so afflicted as her for what had happened almost impeded her to do so. All she could do was hugging her back, and telling her that there was nothing to forgive, that it wasn't just her fault.

* * *

><p><em><strong>That night<strong>__**…**_

Even though the doctors didn't want to release him, they allowed Link to go back home at nightfall. The venom had been successfully extracted, but Link was still too weak, and they ordered him to rest, that is, no heavy work for him. After telling the tale of the adventure, his grandfather forbade him from going back to the workshop and also from hunting at the forest for a whole week, much to his dismay, but this time he couldn't refute with anything, and he went directly to his room. Among other things, he was a tad upset about having left his sword and shield lost in the forest, but he decided he would go fetch them another time, once he was recovered and in a better mood.

Zelda had not exchanged words with him since they left the clinic. She knew she had to face him, but she didn't find the courage to do so. And even though she knew that the more she waited the worse it would be, with each passing second her resolve faltered more and more. She constantly reminded herself "If only I hadn't been so stupid, if only I hadn't run into the woods like that, if only I had listened to him before… maybe none of this would have happened". The single thought of Link being hurt, and that he could have died because of her tormented her more than anything else. Even more so than the fact that, at this moment, he most likely hated her for treating her so badly the past days. And she couldn't blame him if he did.

As she was pondering about this, Grandma showed up with a bowl full of her special soup for Zelda.

- Have this, it'll make you feel better. – She said handing it to her.

- I'm not hungry, but thanks. – Zelda said, trying not to sound ungrateful to Grandma's gesture.

- Why don't you take it to Link? – Grandma purposed.

- Eh? -

- Yeah, maybe he needs it more than you. – Grandma said, she evidently wanted the tensions between them to be lifted up.

- Yes… you're right. – Zelda said.

Zelda walked upstairs holding the bowl in her hands. It was now or never. She walked towards Link's room, trembling a bit, so she tried not to spill the soup. She hesitated for a bit before knocking on the door, after a few seconds, she gulped down and knocked the door, barely perceptible.

- The door's unlocked. – Link's voice responded at the other side, sounding quite less cheerful than usual.

Zelda took a deep breath, and opened the door. She entered the room cautiously, and closed the door to come face to face with Link's room for the first time. It was a tad larger than the room she was sleeping in, which made sense as it previously had belonged to his parents. There was a drawer with a large mirror, and on the walls there were some pictures of a middle-aged man and a woman whose resemblance to Link and Aryll was evident. Link was sitting on the matrimonial bed, his legs crossed, his hands on the knees, and glancing at the window. She didn't seem to have noticed Zelda had entered.

Zelda felt a lump in her throat. So quiet and sullen, Link looked completely different from his usual self, cheerful and spontaneous. He seemed like a completely different person altogether. Link at that moment wasn't wearing his shirt, so Zelda could see the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, another one over his left shoulder towards his back, and yet another one on his right arm. His face was completely inexpressive, Zelda couldn't tell if he was mad or something, and that made her feel scared. However, she knew it was time to face him, there was no turning back now.

- Your… your Grandma asked me to bring this for you. – She said as she handed him the bowl with the soup.

- Leave it over there, I'll eat it later. – Link said, still unwilling to look at her. There was no anger in his voice, but he didn't seem happy either.

Zelda left the bowl on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed.

- Link… I… - Zelda didn't know where to start. Gathering up courage, she managed to say: – I haven't thanked you for saving me… again. -

- There's nothing to thank me. – Link said, with the same inexpressive tone.

- Link... I know you're mad at me, and you have all the rights to be, but… -

- Who told you I'm mad at you? – Link said, finally looking at her for the first time. Zelda felt a chill going down her spine; it was as though if his eyes looked through her. – Why should I be? You're alright, and that's all what matters. –

How could Link say that? Didn't he care at all for his own well-being? He didn't deserve what had happened to him, not when it had been because of her. Link risked his own life for her, despite the harsh way she had treated him. Even after he told her that he wasn't responsible for that public humiliation she had suffered, and maybe deep inside she did know he was telling her the truth. But no, her pride had to get in the way, and it was still doing so. But now her heart was forcing it off, the guilt was choking her; she had to let it out. Finally, she couldn't hold it back anymore and abruptly broke into tears, throwing herself towards Link's neck, and hugging him as tight as she could.

- Zelda? Ow! – Link said at the sting he felt on his wounds when Zelda jumped, but he didn't protest, as he quickly noticed she was crying.

- Link… I'm so sorry… I never… this is all my fault… - Her voice sounded broken due to her crying. She hadn't cried that way since her mother's death, the tears were pouring out of her eyes in torrents, she couldn't stop them even if she wanted. Maybe if anyone else saw her would think of it as embarrassing, but she didn't care, she just had to let it all out. – If I hadn't… because of me you… -

- Hey, calm down… - Link said. This time, his voice sounded warm and kind. Zelda felt Link was hugging her back, and stroking her hair, trying to comfort her. – There, it's not that bad, everything's alright… -

- No, it's not alright. – Zelda said, still crying. – I didn't believe you… I said such horrible things to you… and look at what happened to you… -

- Hey, I've recovered from things worse than this. – Link said.

- That's not the point… - Zelda said, separating from him to look into his eyes. – Link… you are… you are the first true friend I have had in my life… you have no idea what that means for me… -

- Zelda… -

- And to think… I could have lost you… just because I didn't want to listen to you… because this accursed pride of mine made me have doubts about you… - Zelda continued, once again burying her face in his chest. – No… I would have never forgiven myself… having lost such an important person… for something as stupid as that… I have no rights to ask you to forgive me for what I did to you… but please… I beg you, don't hate me… -

Link opened his mouth to say something, but he found no words. If Zelda was really capable, after being so cold and insensible with him before, of coming to him and beg for his forgiveness that way, crying and swallowing her pride, he had no doubts that she was really sorry about what had happened, and that she genuinely cared about him after all. He wanted to say that he didn't hate her, that everybody made mistakes sometimes, and that he had already forgiven her for what had happened, and he was more than willing to forget it. But she needed to vent her feelings. He decided he would let her to have a good cry. They could talk later once she had calmed down. For the time being, he didn't mind staying like that, embracing her to comfort her. Who cared if she was pouring her tears on his shoulders, or about the stings on his wounds due to the hug, if that helped her to feel better?

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

Hehe, well, it might be unusual to have a fight and reconciliation on the same chapter, but I wouldn't stand having these two on a row for too long. And I bet you guys wouldn't stand it either, right? Funny enough, while I was translating the part of the reconciliation I couldn't help but shed a few tears, even though that didn't happen when I wrote the story in Spanish. If you liked this one, you're gonna love the next one, as there's gonna have plenty of romance.

As usual, thanks for the reviews to: **lvs1, mfscatlover, Beforethedawnbreaks, Lolynka, Review, XxheartsyouxX, Zelink, ilovedsi, crysintia **and** MetaGalleom**. Your continued support means a lot to me. See you on the next chapter.


	8. The first kiss

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 8: The first kiss.**_

_**Ordon Town…**_

Time was flying by unnoticed. About two months had passed since that incident at the Lost Woods, but both Zelda and Link had left it behind, and now it seemed like a memory of a past life. As paradoxical it might sound, Ilia's plan to separate in the long run just ended up bringing them closer to each other than before. The bond between them had strengthened to the point that Link and Zelda now had a relationship far beyond that of two best friends, or even siblings, and even though they were both vehemently denying it in front of the others, the truth was that now they spent a lot more of time together. Link now accompanied Zelda to the library in the mornings, and on the weekends when Link went off for hunting, sometimes Zelda would ask him to let go along to keep him company. Everybody in town was talking about it, something was going on between Link and Zelda, and Ilia was furious, of course. She couldn't believe her plan had ended up backfiring so horribly on her. When Link found out that she was the one responsible for that dirty prank, he flew in a rage, and in retaliation he decided to utterly and completely sever any ties with her. If at some point there was a minimal glimpse of the possibility of being friends with her again, now it was completely gone. On the other hand, with Malon, as she apologized and acknowledged her mistake, both Link and Zelda forgave her, accepting the fact that she never meant any harm to either of them.

A few days after the incident, once he was fully recovered from his wounds, Link went back to the area where he had saved Zelda from the Lizalfos, in order to retrieve his swords and shield, which he had lost during the skirmish with the Lizalfos. When Zelda asked him why he took the trouble to go and find them, Link explained that the sword and shield were family heirlooms. His father and grandfather had forged them together, and they would eventually pass them down to him once he had enough age, although unfortunately his father didn't live long enough to see that day. After this explanation, Zelda didn't dare to question him. The shield was a bit dented after the skirmish, so the Grandpa and Link took on the task of repairing it as best as they could. Zelda watched them as they worked together at the forge, and she couldn't help but smile.

- "Link is a very special person." – She thought.

On the other hand, Link was still quite surprised at the way Zelda had managed to rescue him at the forest. He realized she was no ordinary girl. Zelda felt worried for a moment that Link could tell somebody about it, however, Link had decided not to talk about it to anyone, and that made her feel relieved. One night, in Zelda's room, about 10 days after their reconciliation, was when Link finally decided to ask her about it, correctly deducing that Zelda was keeping some little secrets to herself. Zelda, feeling somewhat embarrassed, just admitted that, in effect, there was a lot of things about herself she hadn't talk about, but she didn't feel ready to talk about them, they were quite "complicated", though she did admit she felt somewhat bad for keeping them to herself. Link tried to understand her, and he said she didn't have to tell him if she didn't want, he would wait patiently, and he promised that, once the time came, her secrets would be safe with him.

Summer flew by, and autumn came in its place, the green color usually filling the woods surrounding Ordon was now making way for yellow and red tones. The leaves were starting to fall off of the trees, covering up the ground and the paths everywhere. People were trying to clean up the mess of leaves, which wasn't easy for the occasional winds blowing and scattering around the leaves again. At the same time, the farmers were harvesting their crops, and filling up the barns for the upcoming winter. And speaking of harvests …

- A dance for the harvest? – Zelda asked, as she spoke to Cremia, they were drinking some milkshakes at the milk bar.

- Yeah, we make it every year. – Cremia said. – Everybody gathers up for dancing, singing and playing music. -

- It's not like the Joke's festival, is it? – Zelda said, as a glimpse of that "prank" momentarily crossed her mind.

- No, don't worry. – Cremia assured her. – This is not for fooling around, no jokes at all, but it's still very fun. Besides, this year we'll have some guest artists invited, nobody would like to miss it. Are you coming? -

- Well… I don't know… -

- What's the matter? Are you going to tell me you can't dance? -

Zelda just let out a small giggle. If it was about being able to dance, that wasn't a problem at all. After all, how many dances she had to attend in her life? And just a few months ago she had been forced to dance just about every night, one of the main reasons she had taken this trip, to escape that. She wasn't sure she wanted to return to it.

- I'm surprised Link hasn't invited you yet. – Cremia suddenly said.

- Huh? – Zelda was surprised.

- He never invites anyone of us. – Cremia continues. – I assume it's because he hasn't found his ideal dancing partner, if you get my drift. -

- Please, Cremia. – Zelda said. – He and I… we're just good friends, that's all. -

- Friends? – Cremia said. – The mouse is friends with the cheese, dear. You don't believe that yourself. -

- Cremia, stop teasing me. -

- Alright, as you wish. -

- OK, ladies, it's almost time to close the place, so I'll have to ask you to please leave shortly. – Mr. Barten showed up. Sure enough, the clock on the wall almost pointed at 7 pm.

- Ah, Mr. Barten, before you close, can you give me one more of these, and a special Romani Reserve, both of them ready-to-go? – Zelda asked.

- Gladly. – Mr. Barten said. He served another milkshake and a special Romani Reserve into a couple of vials, and put a cap on both of them. – 80 rupees. Adding up what you just drank from, would be 100. And for Miss Cremia will be 50. -

Cremia was about to pay her bill, but Zelda went ahead of her, and when she managed to count the rupees on the table, she realized Zelda intended to pay her bill as well. Cremia tried to protest, but Zelda didn't allow her to. Once they were out, after the bar was closed for the day, Cremia could finally speak up.

- Hey, Zelda… - She said. – I don't mean to sound like a meddler, but … how come you have so much money? -

- Huh? -

- What I mean is… you paid our debts, and besides… -

- I didn't get it in an illegal manner, if that's what you try to say. – Zelda tried to defend herself.

- No, I didn't mean that. – Cremia said, realizing that she had unwittingly offended her. – It's just… well, you always seem to have quite a bit, even enough for sharing. -

- Well… I could say that … I inherited a lot from my mother, when she passed away. – Zelda said, trying to sound as believable as possible.

- Oh… - Cremia said. – I… I didn't know… -

- Ah, it's alright. It's not something I'd like to talk about. – Zelda said. – She left me too much, and to be honest, I think all the money in the world is worthless… when you don't have anyone to share it. -

Cremia couldn't help but smile at those words. Zelda was really a nice girl, kind-hearted and generous. True, she always seemed to have a lot of money, but the unusual thing was what, while rich people generally vehemently kept to themselves what they had, Zelda didn't mind giving to others a bit of what she had, never expecting to be repaid, or given something in exchange for it.

- Well, I have to go now. See ya. – Cremia said, riding her wagon.

- Goodbye. -

Cremia rode her wagon back home, while Zelda walked back to Link's home, pondering on what she had spoken about with Cremia. The harvest dance… dancing had been always extremely dull and bothersome to her. Her dancing instructors were always scolding her while learning, and her dancing partners, while they knew how to move their feet, didn't know about having tact with her, and in one or two occasions the separation had been quite rough. It seemed like she hadn't found her… "ideal dancing partner", as Cremia had called it.

- "Ideal dancing partner?" – She suddenly thought.

On a sudden, she was picturing herself dancing at the castle hall, and her partner was none other than Link. But not the way she had met him. This Link had his hair combed, and fixed up in a short ponytail, the usual floppy cap nowhere in sight. Instead of his normal clothes, he was wearing an elegant formal costume, emerald green with golden accents, with white boots and gloves. He had all the looks of a prince…

- "A prince? Goddesses, I'm losing my head." – Zelda thought. Though admittedly, that fantasy of hers was not dislikeable. Quite the contrary.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Meanwhile<strong>__**, at the blacksmith's workshop…**_

Link was back working as hard as ever. He didn't waste a moment on going back to slam his hammer once he had fully recovered from his wounds, however, he didn't look serious at all while working. It was strange, but after that incident, Link seemed more cheerful and high-spirited than ever before. His grandparents suspected that Zelda probably had something to do with it (and they weren't too misplaced), but they didn't think it would be necessary to ask any questions. The answer was probably too obvious.

Ilia was peeking through the window of the workshop, watching as Link was hammering around while humming a song. Anybody would say she should be happy about seeing him in high-spirits, but she wasn't, simply because she knew that the very reason he was so happy was the same reason she was so angry. The "invader" was spending more and more time with him, they couldn't be called simply "friends" anymore. As a result of that, Ilia had had a hard time to find a moment to talk to him, in private. And the fact of Link still unwilling to talk to her after finding out she had been the one responsible for that prank made things even harder for her.

- I know you're there, stop hiding. – Link suddenly spoke up, without turning around, as he placed a piece of iron into the forge.

- Huh? – Ilia stood up. – You knew I was here? -

- I'm so used to you spying on me, I could almost smell you. – Link said, still not turning around. – Is there anything in particular you wanna tell me? -

- Hmm… - Ilia tried to think about something, as she walked into the workshop. – Link… I… I wanted to apologize for… -

- It's a bit late for that. – Link interrupted. – Better save it. -

- Link… you can't be mad at me forever. -

- I could try. – He replied curtly.

- I'm serious, Link, if you continue with that attitude I'll never talk to you anymore. -

- What a great loss. – Link replied with irony.

- Is it that you don't even care? – Ilia said, starting to become irritated.

Link finally turned around, pulling the iron out of the forge, and looking at Ilia for the first time. His face did not show anger, but rather severity.

- Why? Do you care? To be honest, Ilia, it's been quite a while since I last counted you among my friends. -

- And I suppose you replaced me with that new girl? – Ilia asked. – I mean… you barely know her, and still… -

- What do you have against Zelda? – Link interrupted her again. – Correct me if I'm wrong, but since she arrived, I have the impression you're always trying to harass her. I'd like to know why. -

- She's a… poseur, and… an abuser! – Ilia yelled, although faltering, as she tried to find words to describe Zelda. – She takes advantage of your hospitality, and your family, and…! -

- And that's why you decided to pull that prank on us (which, by the way, was really disgusting)? -

- Why do you trust her so much? She's only been here a few months, and yet… -

- She saved my life, that's more than enough to me. – Link said. – And so we both are clear, I don't trust you more than I would trust anyone else any longer. And if you don't have anything else to say, I'd like you to let me get back to work. -

Ilia opened her mouth to say something, but she turned around to leave. In the entrance she ran into Zelda, whom she just gave a killing glare and then she walked off stomping furiously. Zelda didn't bother to greet her or ask her what was wrong.

- Did I miss something? – Zelda asked.

- Not really. – Link smiled upon seeing her.

- Grandma told me dinner is ready. – Zelda said.

- Alright, I'll shut the forge off and I'll go. -

Zelda went back into the house, while Link put out the fire in the forge. Next, he locked up the workshop and went back into the house for dinner. Ilia, who wasn't actually too far from there, felt the rage within her burning up more intensely upon seeing how Link smiled to Zelda.

- Why? Why can't you smile to me as you do to her? -

* * *

><p><em><strong>A bit later<strong>__**…**_

After dinner, Zelda went to bed; however, she wasn't sleepy at all. She was still thinking about that Harvest Dance Cremia had mentioned before. She was still trying to decide whether to go or not. Admittedly, she DID want to go, but there was only one person she would like to attend with: Link. Still, about sitting and waiting to be invited, she wasn't so sure. If Link had never invited any girl before, what were her chances that he would invite her? She thought, perhaps, maybe she would have to take the initiative. Not like she had anything to lose, after all. After a while of deliberating in her mind, she stood up, and left the room. She walked towards Link's room, and knocked on the door.

- Link? Are you awake? – She asked.

- Yeah, I'll open. – He replied on the other side, before opening the door for her. – Do you need something? -

- I… I just wanted to talk to you… about something, if you don't mind. – She said with a bit of shyness.

- Of course I don't mind, come in. -

Zelda entered the room. Link took a chair to sit down, while Zelda sat on the edge of the bed. It was the second time she had been inside Link's room (the first time had been the night they had reconciled from their row). For some reason, she didn't feel strange about being in there anymore, and Link didn't seem to think like that either.

- So… what did you want to talk about? -

- Well… Cremia told me that there will be a dance for the harvest. – Was all she managed to say.

- Ah, yeah… of course. – Link's expression became somewhat downcast. – Yeah, everybody gets excited when it comes. -

- Well… will you attend? -

- Hmm… - Link blushed a bit. – To be honest, I don't think so. -

Zelda saw it coming. Cremia had already told her that Link never invited anyone to that dance. And sure enough, he didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about it.

- Cremia… also told me that you never invite anyone. – Zelda said , not sure why.

- There's no point in attending a dance… if all I might do is sitting around doing nothing. –Link said.

- And why is that? -

- Well… because… - It became clear that Link felt embarrassed to admit it. – Ah, because I can't dance, OK? I don't want anybody to make fun of me for that. - Link almost expected Zelda to laugh at him for that, but she didn't.

- That's not a problem. – Zelda smiled at him. – If you don't know how to dance… I can teach you. -

- You? For real, do you know how to dance? -

- A bit. – She said, modestly. – It's not too hard, honest. -

- But, there's just 10 days left for the dance. – Link said. – Do you think we could…? -

- That's more than enough time. –Zelda assured. – I can teach you some basics. -

- Hmm… you never cease to amaze me. – Link said, smiling at her with a bit of mischief. – Is there anything you can't do? -

Zelda giggled at the comment. – We can start tomorrow, if you want. –

- Hmm… alright, but let's do it at a secluded place, OK? I don't want anybody to see me while I'm learning. -

- As you wish. – Zelda said, standing up from the bed. – Well, I think it's time to go and sleep, see you in the morning. -

- Goodnight. –

Zelda left the room. Link dropped himself on his bed, but he was still unable to sleep. Zelda had offered to teach him how to dance, and he had accepted almost immediately. Also, she had come to talk to him about the dance. Did she want to invite him, or maybe she expected him to invite her?

- "What have I just gotten into?" – He thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A few days later<strong>__**…**_

As she had promised, Zelda took Link to teach him what she knew about dancing. Ironically, the place she chose for the lessons was that very same clearing where Link had discovered Zelda performing the teleportation spell, the place where that… incident had taken place. Zelda couldn't think of a more secluded place if they wanted to practice without being spotted by anyone. Link seemed quite unsure; he had never danced in his whole life.

- Follow me, watch closely. – Zelda said, showing him some basic steps, while Link looked at her with attention. – You need to keep in mind not just the direction, the speed you give the step is very important as well. For instance, this way: slow, quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. Do you understand? -

- I think so. – Link said, taking a deep breath. – Here goes nothing. -

Link tried to perform the same steps as Zelda, at the time he recited the "quick, quick, slow" so as to not to forget the pattern. After a while, he asked Zelda how he was doing it, and she said "not bad for the first attempt". As if though he had caught an indirect, Link started feeling frustrated, but Zelda told him that, obviously, not everyone can do it perfectly on the first try, so all he could do was to keep practicing. Zelda proved to be a good instructor, she was a tad strict, but at the same time she tried to be flexible with Link. She took several years to learn how to dance, but that was greatly due to the lack of motivation from her teachers, who did nothing but scolding her when she went wrong, and never praised her when she was doing it right. Zelda thought that Link didn't need anything of that. Plus, Link didn't actually take long to learn the basic steps, although Zelda advised him that, if he wanted to remember the pattern, he should do it mentally. After all, it would seem odd if he kept saying "quick, quick, slow" while dancing in front of everybody.

- Alright, that should be enough. – Zelda said. – You have learned how to do it on your own. Now, here's the hard part: doing it with your partner. -

- Partner? Do I have to? – He didn't seem to like the idea one bit.

- Of course you have to. – Zelda said in a severe tone, as she placed herself before Link, and with no words spoken she held Link's right hand with her left one, and placed the other one around his neck. – What are you waiting for? Hold my waist. -

- But… - Zelda's closeness made him feel really nervous and uncomfortable.

- Do you want to learn or not? – Zelda said. – Just do as I say. -

He hesitated for a couple of seconds, but he finally obliged. Zelda felt a little shiver going down her spine when Link's hand held her waist, but she continued the lesson nonetheless. Link tried to follow her movement pattern, but it was hard. He instinctively looked down at Zelda's feet trying to follow them (although that wasn't much of a help due to her dress), and he accidentally stepped on her a couple of times. Zelda, however, did not yell or protest at him, however, upon realizing the mistake Link was making, she decided to correct it.

- Link… there's a golden rule in dancing, and it's that you can't be staring at your partner's feet. – She said. – You must look into their eyes. It's essential. -

- Look into the eyes? -

- It might not seem like it, but maintaining the visual contact is important. – Zelda continued. – You must follow me by looking into my eyes, not at my feet. -

- How do I do that? – Link said.

- Just look at me… and remember everything I've taught you so far. – She said.

- Is that all? -

- It's more than enough. –Zelda affirmed.

Link said nothing else, but he decided to give it a try. This time, he set his eyes onto Zelda's, and thought about everything she had taught him up until that moment. As strange it might seem, it worked: he knew exactly what he had to do, without her telling him, and he was able to perfectly follow her movements. Zelda couldn't help but smile: her disciple was progressing. The two of them remained that way for a few minutes, watching themselves reflected on the eyes of the other, and they were really enjoying it.

- "Such beautiful eyes…" – The two of them suddenly thought, at the same time, and unbestknown to the other.

After about 15 or 20 minutes, they finally ceased. Zelda was very pleased at Link's progress, and he himself seemed surprised about it. Then again, he admitted that it was greatly due to Zelda being a good teacher. Satisfied with herself and Link, Zelda decided to call it a day. From then on, all they had to do would be to practice up until the day of the dance. And speaking of the dance…

- Hum… Zelda. – Link suddenly said, as they walked back home.

- Yes? -

- Hmm… Would you…? Would you like to…? – He seemed to have a hard time in saying it. – Would you like to attend the dance with me? -

Zelda hesitated for a moment before answering. He had taken his time, but he finally had done it. And well, in the end, wasn't that what she wanted, to attend the dance with her? Having become his dancing instructor had paid off, it seemed.

- I'd love to. – Was Zelda's response, smiling.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The day of the dance<strong>__**…**_

The days went by. The quick progress of Link became evident, to the point that, the day before the harvest dance, Zelda didn't have to say a single word, he was able to do everything on his own, only in the end Zelda spoke up to tell him he was ready. Even so, Link was still unsure if he'd be able to do it in front of so many people, but he didn't dare to tell this to Zelda.

The dance would start at about 4 pm, and it would last great part of the night. Obviously it would include dinner for everyone. Everyone was already commenting about who would be the invited artists, and they were really excited. Well, except for a small group. The youngest male children, like Colin, were not particularly enthusiastic about the dance as the girls of their same age. Romani hadn't stopped bothering him about taking her to the dance, to which he always replied "You're crazy, dancing's for girls ". That, however, didn't save him from having to attend anyway, since his parents dragged him along, they wouldn't leave him alone at home.

Halfway through the afternoon, about an hour before the dance started, people was already gathering up at the town square. They had built a stage for the musicians, and of course for the invited artists. At Link's home, Grandma lent Zelda a dancing gown, which had previously belonged to Link's mother, but had been conserved in prime condition. Amazingly, it fit perfectly on her.

- I look at you, and it seems as though I'm seeing my late daughter-in-law. – Grandma commented with a nostalgic tone. – I remember the first time she wore that dress, it was over 20 years ago… -

Zelda wasn't sure if she should feel either praised or uncomfortable for that comment. But upon looking at herself in the mirror, she had to admit the dress suited her. It was a lavender-colored dress, with a simple yet attractive design, and it was quite lightweight, which made it perfect for dancing. The dresses she used to wear at the castle sometimes were so heavy she had difficulties even to move around.

- I'm ready. – They heard Link's voice as he walked downstairs. Zelda looked at him, and she couldn't help but notice, for a split second, how similar he looked to that little fantasy she had had in her mind a few days back. The costume Link was wearing, of course, was not an elegant one as she had imagined, but a simpler one. However, Link had fixed his hair, normally messy, in the same way Zelda had seen it in her mind, including the short ponytail. For a few seconds, she was speechless, until Link spoke up: - Wow, Zelda. You look really beautiful. -

- Eh? – Zelda was brought back from her trance. – Th-thank you, you look really good as well. -

- Big brother! – Aryll suddenly came up. – I'm ready, are we going now? Hey, Zelda, you're really pretty today. -

- So do you. – Zelda smiled at her.

- Have a good time. – Grandma said. – And don't stay up too late. -

- We'll be back before nine o'clock, I promise. – Link said. He held Aryll with his right hand and, as if it was the most normal thing, he offered Zelda his left arm. – Going my way? -

- Of course. – Zelda said, gladly accepting, although unable to hold back a little blush.

The trio left the home and walked towards the town square. Both Link and Zelda expected to have no "incidents" as the one on the Joke's Festival. But when Link saw Ilia from afar, his hopes faded away. With her around, chances of everything being peaceful would be slim. He finally decided he would ignore her.

Just as they arrived, the eyes of everyone close by turned to look at them. They both felt somewhat uncomfortable, but that was normal. After all, Link had never attended that dance, not to mention he had come accompanied by a very beautiful young lady. Ilia, even though she was at the other end of the square, she still caught sight of the small crowd, and when she went to see what was going on, she felt as though there was a volcano about to erupt inside her.

- Goddesses… he came with that invader. – Ilia muttered through her teeth upon seeing them arrive.

- Hey, Ilia. – A voice spoke up behind her.

- Huh? Ah, hey, Cremia. – She replied.

- What are you looking at? – Cremia asked, but she had her response upon taking a peek, and she couldn't help but smile. – Well, well. Seems like she managed to get him to invite her. -

- What do you mean? – Ilia asked.

- Nothing, just that I told Zelda about the dance. – Cremia said, unconcerned. – I found odd that Link hadn't still invited her. -

Ilia said nothing more, although she almost let out a very objectionable word, but she managed to get a hold of herself. She couldn't still understand what Link saw in that "invader".

- They're a lovely couple, don't you think? – Cremia said, unaware that she was making the beast angry.

- Buff, yeah sure. –Ilia groaned. – I don't know what he sees in her, if he barely knows her. -

- Uhh… what was that? – Cremia seemed to be interested. – Am I detecting jealousy in you? -

- Jealousy? Are you crazy? –Ilia's mouth kept denying it vehemently, although her body language said otherwise. - Please, Cremia! -

- If you say so. – Cremia said. – I'll just give you a piece of advice, Ilia. You better don't go doing anything foolish today. -

- What are you talking about? -

- Don't play dumb. – Cremia's expression became more serious. – Malon told me everything already. About that incident in the Jokes Festival, if you've forgotten. -

- "Malon, you'll pay for this." – Ilia felt even more anger building up inside.

- You won't get Link's attention with that kind of things. – Cremia continued. – Not the way you want, at least. If I was you, I would leave them alone, both him and Zelda. -

Cremia walked off, leaving Ilia alone again. The blonde girl felt so furious, she couldn't do anything else but look at Link and Zelda, and stuffing up with the snacks on the table, in a (virtually useless) attempt to control her anger. And right in that instant, they announced from the stage:

- Attention everyone, pick your partners, and let the dance begin! -

The band took their instruments, and they started playing a very lively melody. Aryll went running off along with Romani, who was still chasing Colin around to force him to dance with her, something the boy was not willing to go through at all. Link, on the other hand, felt somewhat nervous when the music started.

- What are you waiting for, Link? – Zelda asked.

- Zelda… I don't think I can do it in front of so many people. – He said.

- Don't pay any mind. – She said. – Just forget about them. -

- But… -

- Just imagine that it's just you and me. – Zelda insisted. – Like in our lessons. -

Link took a deep breath. He decided he would disconnect from everyone else around him. He remembered what Zelda told him about keeping the visual contact with your partner. Yeah, that was it; he just needed to focus on Zelda's eyes, nothing more. He shouldn't care of anything else around him. Once he had the determination, he held Zelda's waist and they both started dancing, just the way she had taught him.

And so it was. After two or three songs they both had attracted the attention of many people who knew Link, and never saw him at the harvest dance, but there he was, and he had made a very triumphant entrance. He himself couldn't believe it. All thanks to Zelda.

- Thanks, thanks, pueblo! And now, we have an interlude to delight your eyes, with one of our guest artists this year! Everyone, please give a big hand to the most famous and talented dancer in the Holodrum region, Miss Din! -

- "Did he say Din?" – Zelda said to herself, turning around to look at the stage.

The stage had been cleared off, the band had made room. A second later, there was a_** POOF!, **_and a red smoke filled up the stage. Through the smoke a female silhouette could be seen, she was tall and slender, and with a very long hair. Once the smoke had cleared off, it revealed a young woman (probably in her early twenties) with dark skin and a red flaming hair going down almost to her knees. Her skin-tight pink outfit showed off her nice figure.

- Yes, it's her. – Zelda said, more to herself than to Link.

- Who? – Link asked.

- Huh? No, nothing… pay no mind to me. -

Link looked at Zelda with a questioning expression, but then she turned around to look at the girl on the stage (who, by the way, attracted the looks of the males just with her intro). Assuming her initial stance, the girl started dancing around the stage, astonishing everybody with her graceful moves, which could be called even sensual (not coming into indecent). Furthermore, the way her hair flowed, gave the impression as if though they were seeing flames dancing along with her, which added even more attractive to her show. Some men even started drooling at her beauty, which made their female partners jealous.

- Wow. – Link said. – That girl really has nice moves. -

Zelda looked at Link sidelong, and then she turned to see Din again. She knew her very well, Din was actually the Oracle of Seasons, but she liked dancing in her free time, and every now and then she would stage some shows with her dances, which were always a delight to those who watched them (particularly the men). Not for nothing she was called "the most famous and talented dancer in Holodrum", considering that she had made quite a few merits (and was still making them in that moment), she had well-earned that title. And from afar everybody could see that Din enjoyed performing her dance as much or perhaps even more than those who were watching her.

- Is it me, or she's looking at us? – Link suddenly asked.

Zelda looked at Din, just in the instant she finished her performance, in the middle of the applauses, her eyes turned in the direction of Link and Zelda. More specifically, she set her sights in Zelda. Did she recognize her, did she notice who she was? Din's eyes went from Zelda to Link, and then back to Zelda again. She smiled at them in a very strange way (perhaps a tad "naughty"), and after thanking her crowd as they cheered for her, she walked off of the stage.

- That was wonderful, one million thanks, Miss Din! Ah, but there's still more! For you, the loveliest voice in the Labrynna region, Miss Nayru! -

Another young woman, about the same age as Din, and no less beautiful, walked up the stage. She had a blue flowing hair almost as long as Din's, and eyes of the same color, and she was wearing a long aquamarine dress, unlike that somewhat daring outfit Din was wearing. Just as she opened her mouth, out came a singing worth of an angel chorus. If the men had been completely dumbfounded at the sexiness antes of Din's dance, they had now been bewitched by Nayru's beautiful voice, although the women seemed to find her more… acceptable, and they had to acknowledge they did like her.

- What a lovely voice. – Link commented. – Come to think about it, how come she has the same name as the Goddess of Wisdom? -

- "If only you knew, Link… if only you knew." – Zelda thought.

Din and Nayru being named after the Goddesses of Power and Wisdom respectively was no mere coincidence, and Zelda knew it very well. There was a third oracle, who was named after the Goddess of Courage, Farore, but Zelda had yet to meet her in person. She was the Oracle of Secrets, meaning that she didn't actually have much contact with the outside world, unlike her two other friends.

After finishing her song, and just like Din before her, Nayru's eyes stopped for a moment in Zelda upon spotting her. Link once again wondered if she was looking at them, and should that be the case, why she was doing it. And in the same way as Din had done, she also smiled at them (although in a very less naughty manner than Din) before walking down off the stage.

- That was… weird. – Link said, unable to understand why Din, and then Nayru, had smiled at them that way.

The band went back to their place in the stage and resumed playing the habitual songs, apparently to give Din and Nayru some rest. Link and Zelda continued dancing, and they were having so much fun, to the point that only after two or three more songs Zelda finally noticed that her feet hurt. They walked towards a table to have a drink, as Link had gotten thirsty after so much dancing.

- Uff, I didn't know dancing would be so much fun. – Link, drinking in a single sip a large cup of punch.

Zelda wanted to say that she agreed with him, but she thought it might sound indiscrete, so she said nothing. As she was helping herself some punch, Malon approached them, she had come to the dance too.

- Hey, what's up? -

- Hello there, Malon. – Zelda greeted.

- How strange to see you in a dance, Link. – The redhead commented.

- Zelda convinced me. – The boy replied.

- But you invited me to come. – Zelda said. – And you, Malon, did you come by yourself? –

- Well, I came with Cremia and Romani. – Malon said, smiling. – You two are catching a lot of attention. You really know how to dance. -

- All thanks to Zelda. – Link said. – It was her who taught me. -

- Really? You must be a really good instructor then. – Malon said. – I must confess, I'm feeling quite envious. You know, since I didn't find a partner and… -

Link and Zelda's smiles faded away. Malon seemed sad about that. While by that moment it was more than clear that Link only saw her as a friend (and he had pretty much decided whom he really liked), he looked at Zelda as if asking her if he could dance with Malon for a while. Zelda seemed to read his thoughts, and she said "yes" with a gesture of her head.

- Malon… Wanna dance for a bit? -

- Huh? Really? But, Zelda… -

- It's alright. – Zelda said. – Just for a bit, there's no harm in it. And I think I could rest for a while. -

- Well… if you put it that way, thanks. – Malon said. – And don't worry, I promise I'll return him in full. – She winked before going with Link back to the dancing floor.

Zelda blushed a bit at the comment, but she smiled. Malon seemed to be happy about things going well between her and Link. She was really a good girl. Besides, from what she saw from her place, Malon and Link were really dancing just as friends. She then went to take a seat at a corner, and drank her cup of punch.

- Hey, Zelda. – Aryll suddenly popped out. – Where's my brother? -

- He's over there, dancing with Malon. – Zelda said.

- And why is he doing that? – The little girl asked. – He came with you. Aren't you mad? -

- Of course not. – Zelda replied smoothly. – Why should I be mad? We're all friends. -

- Hmm… - Aryll looked at her, not quite convinced. Maybe she was friends with Malon, but with Link?

- Aryll! – Romani came off. – Come help me; that stupid Colin is still running from me! -

- Owowowow, I'm coming, don't drag me! – Aryll screamed as Romani dragged her off by the arm.

After the two girls left, Zelda stretched a bit on her chair. She took a glance at her dancing shoes. She was surprised on how much they had worn out in just that afternoon (which had become night already). It wasn't a surprise, as she had already danced over eight (long) songs with Link. But she definitely had enjoyed them. Link was an excellent dancing partner, the best he had ever had in his life. For the first time, she was having a great time in a dance, and so was he. After resting for a bit, and after Malon had "returned" him, she would dance with him one or two more songs before leaving. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice two people approaching her, and they were none other than Din and Nayru, the red-haired dancer and the blue-haired singer.

- Well, well, just look whom we have found here. – Nayru said.

- Huh? – Zelda looked at them.

- It's been a long time… Your Highness. – Din said, respectfully.

- Shhh! Not so loud, please. – Zelda said. – Nobody here knows who I am, and it would cause a huge mess if they find out. How did you know it was me? -

- Princess, we would recognize you anywhere. – Din said. – You're the living image of your mother. -

- Especially the eyes. – Nayru added.

- Hey, the people here don't need to know that, OK? – Zelda said. – No formal titles or anything of that, please call me just by my name. -

- Our apologies, we didn't mean to upset you… Zelda. – Nayru said. – You've grown a lot; you look like a full-fledged lady. -

- Thank you. – Zelda said. – You two look really good too. And now that I think about it, what are you girls doing here? -

- We needed to take a… break, from our habitual activities. – Din said. – You know, having some fun, relax… -

- I see, so did I. – Zelda said.

- We hadn't seen you since you were twelve. – Nayru said. – We're sorry we couldn't pay our condolences to you when your mother passed away. -

- It's alright. – Zelda said. – I have gotten over it. -

- We found out that you had already started looking for a consort. – Din said. – As the traditions dictate, you must get married before… well, you know what. -

- Yes, but… I wanted to take a break from that for a while. – Zelda said. – To forget about everything for some time… to try and live as a normal girl… -

- Well, I'd say… you seem very close to find him. – Nayru suddenly commented, smiling.

- What do you mean? -

- We saw you have quite a fine company. – Din said, winking at her. – What's his name? -

- Huh? What do you mean by…? -

- We're talking about that blond young man you were dancing with, that one over there with the red-haired girl. – Nayru said.

- Huh? Ah, him… his name is Link. – Zelda said, blushing.

- Too bad he's booked already, he's my type. – Din commented, looking at him with an appreciative eye. – You have an exquisite taste, Zelda. -

- Hey! – Zelda's face became red-hot in full in just a blink. – He's not my… we're just friends! -

- Friends? – Din said. – Don't you go thinking I didn't see how you two stared at each other while dancing, Zelda. -

- You should admit it at least, you do like him, and it's clear that he likes you too. – Nayru said.

- Well… - The red color vanished from Zelda's face, although not completely. – He is… I can't help it. He's so kind, gentle and brave. -

- Don't forget he's also really handsome. – Din completed, unembarrassed at all. Zelda tried to look away.

- Don't hold it back. – Nayru said. – That's completely normal, even more at your age. -

- You know, I wouldn't let him escape if I was you. He's a good prospect, it would be sad if all of a sudden somebody showed up to steal him, and you ended up all alone. – Din said trying to feign innocence, although, for some reason, Zelda had the feeling that by saying "somebody", Din actually meant to say "I".

- Hmm… - Zelda said no more, although her jealous expression didn't go unnoticed by the two oracle girls, who could only smile at her.

- We better get ready for the next act. – Nayru said.

- You're right. – Din said. – See you later, Zelda. And don't forget, don't go losing him. – She winked at her one last time before leaving.

Din and Nayru walked away, leaving Zelda alone once again. While she felt somewhat uncomfortable with that conversation, she couldn't help but think about what they had said, and what she felt when Din mentioned Link being her type and whatnot. What was that? Jealousy, maybe? No, it couldn't be. She and Link were just good friends… well, maybe he had become her best friend, but that didn't mean… Or did it? She couldn't say she didn't like Link, and also, Malon had told her that he liked her back. Also there was the fact he had asked her out for the dance, which she had gladly accepted.

- Hey, Zelda. -

- Huh? – Link brought Zelda back to earth from her thoughts, he was done dancing with Malon.

- Hey, do you know them? – Link asked, pointing at Nayru and Din, who were a bit far now.

- Yes, we could say so. – Zelda said. – I had met them once… in one of my birthdays. -

- Wow, you never cease to amaze me. – Link said, fortunately he didn't go on asking more questions. He had promised not to bug her about her "secrets", whatever they were.

After the interlude, Din and Nayru performed an act together, with Din dancing at the song Nayru was playing. If the crowd had loved their individual shows, it was nothing compared to this one. Clearly, the sum of the parts had achieved a much greater result. The thunderous applause was even greater once they finished.

- And now, ladies and gentlemen, we shall introduce to you a young singer who began her career recently, but she has captivated many hearts with her lovely voice in the coastline regions! For all of you, Miss Marin, from Koholint Island! -

A young woman with long, dark orange hair adorned with a red flower, took the stage. Her skin was somewhat tanned, although not as dark as Din's, and Zelda also noticed that she lacked the long, pointy ears of the Hylians, this girl evidently came from afar, something also made evident by the design in her sky blue dress, she was an island girl. She was accompanied by a harp, and smiling, she announced at the crowd:

- Thanks for the invitation. Tonight I'll sing for all of you one of my favorite songs. It's called "The Ballade of the Wind Fish." -

Marin began playing her harp, and began singing a song which, in the opinion of many, sounded like "a mermaid's chant". Maybe that wasn't entirely surprising considering the region she hailed from. It was a lovely song, although it sounded somewhat… sad, maybe that would be the word, as if though it was a goodbye song. It was the slowest song played so far in the dance, and the couples began getting closer to each other as the song was playing. Particularly, for Zelda and Link time seemed to have stopped. The young princess seemed as if she was sleeping in his chest, while he hugged her. It was odd, but in that moment, being in Link's arms, Zelda had the sensation of being, in a manner of speaking, safe, protected, as if though she had found a haven to rest, where she was safe from everything. A haven she had only found before in the arms of her late mother. It was similar, but at the same time there was something different in it.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the square, Ilia was still in the same chair she had been sitting on during the whole dance. She had eaten just about everything on the table, so she couldn't unleash her anger in the snacks anymore. She seemed not to blink at all, as she didn't want to let Link and Zelda out of her sight, who for some reason seemed to have gotten closer to each other with the song playing at the moment. Cremia walked by her, and she was surprised to find her at the exact same place she had left her.

- I can't believe it, Ilia, you're still there? – She asked. – What's wrong, why don't you go dance for a bit? -

- I'm not in mood. – Ilia replied.

- Oh my… if you don't wanna dance, why did you come then? –

- To watch how that stupid invader enjoys her time with Link. – She seemed to talk without thinking.

- What invader? – Cremia asked, taking a bit to realize whom Ilia referred to. – Ah, you mean Zelda, don't you? What do you have against her? She's a really nice girl. -

Ilia muttered something through her teeth. Cremia didn't understand it well, but she was sure it wasn't lovely stuff about Zelda. She sat next to Ilia to rest.

- It's just that you're jealous that Link likes Zelda, isn't it? – She had just said the magical words, the volcano within Ilia finally erupted. Except that, obviously, she wouldn't acknowledge it from the mouth to the outside.

- I don't get it… I don't understand why he can't speak and smile to me as he does to her. -

- Maybe because Zelda is more mature, and she's not after him like a compulsive stalker. – Cremia commented as a suggestion.

- Who's a compulsive stalker? – Ilia yelled so loud she attracted the attention of the passerby people.

- I just gave my opinion, don't take it personally. – Cremia said calmly. – But still… I can't help but think, he sees something in her he doesn't see in anyone else. -

Ilia let out a groan: she didn't need to be told the obvious. Yes, that girl had something, but, what was that something? How could she attract the attention, and furthermore, the trust and the affection of Link, making no apparent effort at all? And why couldn't her (Ilia) do the same? The anger within Ilia, due to the fact she had no answer to her questions, went on storing up until, about two minutes after the song began, and when she noticed Link was gently stroking Zelda's hair, went past its maximum tolerance point.

- "I can't stand it anymore." – Ilia said to herself, standing up from her chair.

- Ilia, where are you going? – Cremia asked.

Unable to hold back her "killing impulses" anymore, Ilia started walking in between the people without taking the time to ask for permission politely and even shoving them aside. Everyone wondered what was her problem, but she didn't care. She had a single idea set in her mind: go towards Zelda and Link, and separate them immediately. Once she finally reached them, she placed herself in between them, and brusquely pushed them away from each other.

- Alright, the party's over. – She said. – You've had him for yourself long enough, now it's my turn. -

- Hey, Ilia, what's up with that? – Link said, evidently angry that she had stormed in between them like that.

- You let Malon dance with you even though you came with… her, right? – Ilia said. – It's just fair, I deserve it too. -

- Get lost, don't annoy us. – Link said.

- Link, if she… -

- You shut up! – Ilia yelled, scaring Zelda, causing everyone to look in their direction. – This is all your fault! -

- What do you mean? – Zelda didn't understand.

- It's because of you, Link won't pay any attention to me! If only you hadn't shown up…! I don't know what he sees in you, but I won't let YOU have him! – She finally exploded, pushing her violently and causing her to fall to the floor.

- Ilia! -

Everything went too fast. Ilia took off her shoes and tried to pound Zelda with them. The princess couldn't do anything but try and hold her wrists, as she tried to protect herself, still unable to understand why she took that attitude. Link and everyone else were just too shocked to move or do something to interfere.

- You're a damn stupid invader! – Ilia yelled, her face being red-hot in anger.

In the middle of the struggle, Zelda had no choice but to bite one of Ilia's hands, and slap her hard to get her off of her. Next, she got back on her feet and ran off towards the stage. Marin had stopped playing and singing, shocked at the mess. An enraged Ilia threw both of her shoes to Zelda, fortunately missing her, and still barefoot she ran after her, while people stepped aside to stay away from her path. It was then that Link finally decided to act, and went after them. Zelda climbed up the stage, and so did Ilia, but Link stayed below, trying to keep a safe distance, but never losing sight of them.

- Ilia, please… - Zelda pleaded, trying to calm her down. – Can't we talk about this? -

- There's nothing to talk! – Ilia yelled. – You stole him from me! He was mine, get it! MINE! -

And she charged forward to try and push her with both hands. Zelda dodged her, and still tried to convince her that there was no need to do that. Finally, after a bit, Ilia seemed to calm down. Thinking she could finally talk to her, Zelda approached her...

- You're going down, invader! – Ilia yelled as she maniacally laughed, pushing her off of the stage.

- AAAAAAAAAHHH! -

- Zelda! -

It was all a trick. Ilia pretended to be calm to have Zelda let her guard down, and when she did, she snuck up behind her and pushed her of the stage, it would be so much fun to see her fall face first on the floor. With luck, she might break her nose or something… but much to her dismay, right in the moment Zelda went down, Link was below, ready to catch her. She fell… directly to his arms! But the effect of the fall caused both of them to end up in the floor, Zelda on top of Link. And if it wasn't enough with the fact of both of them being in a very compromising position in front of everyone…

- AAAAAAAAARRGHH! – Ilia let out a terrific scream, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Zelda had fallen on top of Link, and due to the fall, the lips of both of them had ended up together. They both remained there, paralyzed and their cheeks burning up, unable or unwilling to make any move, before the looks of everyone. A deadly silence formed, just to be broken again by another scream of Ilia.

- IT CAN'T BE! THE INVADER HAS JUST STOLEN ME LINK'S FIRST KISS! – Ilia yelled out loud, letting out torrents of tears, which were more of pure rage rather than sadness. – IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, THIS CAN'T BE TRUE! -

And she ran off. When everyone was more focused on the tantrum Ilia made, Zelda and Link got back on their feet, but still unable to pronounce a word, or to look at each other.

- Brother! Zelda! – Aryll showed up, trying to make her way through the crowd. – Hey, what happened? -

- Aryll… I think… we've had enough… for today. – Link said, still shaken about what had just happened. – Don't you agree, Zelda? -

- Huh? Y-yes, I agree. – Zelda said. – Let's get going. -

The two teenagers took Aryll's hands, and they made their way out of the square. The harvest dance would be over very soon anyway, and with what had just happened, maybe it was better to get away from everything, and everyone, as fast as possible. Aryll kept on asking what had happened on their way home, but Link and Zelda didn't want to, or maybe they just couldn't, say anything at all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>At<strong>__** Link's home, later…**_

Zelda was sitting on the edge of her bed, still wearing her dancing gown. Her heart was still beating unstoppably, and it was no surprise at all. She couldn't still believe what had happened just a few hours before. It had been an accident, of course, but not just any kind of accident. She had kissed Link in front of everyone in town. She couldn't help but imagine the face of the Prime Minister should he had witnessed the scene. "THIS IS OUTRAGOUS, A SCANDAL! HOW DARES THAT FILTHY PAUPER TO BESMIRCH THE PURENESS OF THE PRINCESS!" Of course, in the circumstances it had happened, none of them was to blame. Zelda was relieved that he wasn't there, and at the same time felt like laughing when she pictured his expression.

Truth to be told, even though it had been a mere coincidence that Ilia chose that very moment to make that scene, and that by pushing her off of the stage she had all the intention of hurting her of something worse (getting more than she bargained for), that kiss hadn't been unpleasant to her at all. Link's lips were smooth and warm… it had been an incredible sensation.

- "What's wrong with me?" – She wondered. – "Why… why do I feel so strange? Is it… could it be…?" -

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK! **_The knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

- Come in. – She said almost instinctively.

The door opened slightly, Link peeked through not entering the room completely, he was smiling nervously.

- H-hi. – He said, a bit shaky. – Ehm… can we talk for a bit? -

- Sure. – Zelda said, moving aside, and making a gesture to Link to sit beside her.

Link entered and sat on the bed next to Zelda. Both of them stared at each other, as if expecting the other to start the conversation. But they were both so nervous and confused they just didn't know what to say.

- I… - They both spoke at the same time, stopping once they noticed the other wanted to talk.

- You speak first. – Link said.

- Well… maybe what I want to talk… is not that important. – Zelda said.

- It's about the… well, about what happened in the dance? – Link asked.

Zelda gulped down, Link had just hit a nerve. So it was that. He wanted to talk about it. Zelda wasn't sure she wanted to bring back that again, but after a few seconds, she decided to let it out. Maybe she would feel better after talking.

- If you don't want I won't… -

- No, it's alright. – Zelda said. – To be honest, I feel that… it would be best to talk about it. -

- Yeah, so do I. – Link said. – You… you must be a bit confused, right?

- Yes. – Zelda admitted. – You know, I never… ever in my life… had kissed anyone. -

- Really? – Link asked, to which Zelda replied with a nod. – Well… me neither. I never thought… my first kiss would be… accidental. -

Zelda didn't say anything, but she agreed. She was feeling exactly the same way. Even despite the fact she was a princess, she, like any other girl her same age, deep inside dreamed of her first kiss. The last thing she had thought was to have it that way, so brusquely and unexpectedly. Surely enough, nobody would expect their first kiss to be caused by an accident.

- Although… it wasn't bad at all. – Link said, not exactly sure why.

- What did you say? -

- What I mean is… well, I really… - Link froze at that very moment. He wasn't sure about using that word with Zelda, unsure if she would think the same of him. – What I'm trying to say is that… well, you are… very different from all girls I've met. -

- Different? – Zelda asked, although for some reason, she was quite sure about what Link meant to say.

- I'm so confused. – Link said. – I don't know why, but… lately, you've always been in my mind. I know we haven't known each other for too long, but… somehow, I feel as if though I've known you since forever. -

- To be sincere… I feel the same way. – Zelda said. – I know I used to consider you my friend before, but now… I'm not so sure. My feelings… have changed. -

- Hmm… what's happening to us? – Link asked.

- I don't know. Maybe… we just need some time, you know, to think clearly. – Zelda said.

- Yeah, maybe. – Link said, standing up. – Well, I'll leave you so you can rest. Sorry if I bothered you. -

- No, you didn't. – Zelda smiled at him. – To be honest… I think I feel better now, for having talked to you. Thank you. -

- Don't thank me, actually, I feel better myself. – Link smiled back at her. – Goodnight. -

- Goodnight. – Zelda said, and Link left the room and closed the door.

After Link was gone, Zelda went back to her pondering. She felt somewhat relieved upon learning that he felt as confused as her about what had happened. The truth was, and she knew it very well, that her feelings for Link had changed and deepened since the day they met. It had been a rather short time, about half a year, however, they both had shared a lot in that period, and she had began feeling something very special for him. An unknown, yet beautiful and strong feeling, something she hadn't felt for anyone before.

In that very instant, she recalled a conversation she had with her mother when she was a child, she had asked the queen how did she and her father fall in love. Queen Selena answered that their feelings formed over time, without her noticing. She said that, even though some people took more time than others, the process was basically the same. Her exact words were: "Trust is the base of everything. On the trust, you build friendship. On the friendship, you build affection. And given enough time… the affection can be turned into love".

- "Love…" – Zelda thought, while cuddling her pillow.

Her mother had told her, just before dying, that he should marry for love, to someone who truly cared for her. Could Link be that person? Was it love she felt for him? Recalling the events, Link managed to earn her trust almost immediately, when he saved her from those bandits. As the time went by, she came to consider him as her first and best friend, with everything they had shared. And out of force of thinking about him, she had to admit that, almost without realizing (and if it wasn't because of that incident which almost cost Link's life she wouldn't have realized at), she had started feeling a genuine affection for him, far beyond the fact of being a friend. Did that affection take the best of her heart to the point of turning into real love? Everything was too confusing. But she couldn't help but think that, with everything, Link was brave, loyal, and hard-working, he never turned his back to people who needed him, and he always cared for others (especially his family) more than he cared for himself, always trying to be helpful to people and never expecting anything in return. Those were the traits she would seek in an ideal husband… a perfect husband. Furthermore, someone like him would be capable of leading the kingdom very well, to rule with justice and compassion for everyone.

- "Is it… that I've finally found… the right person?" – She thought, before closing her eyes and giving in to the dreams.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>**:**

This is not a very usual way to have the first kiss, is it? I needed something to pull the trigger of their feelings, and this was the best I could think about. Besides, I think I'm giving Ilia the worst of the punishments, she'll have to live with the fact that she was the one responsible *evil laugh*. I don't know if I went overboard with Ilia here, but well, considering the course of the story, this was bound to happen eventually. As for Link and Zelda, well, they haven't said "I love you" yet, but don't worry, that comes for the next one.

Thanks for the reviews to: **Lolynka, Jazzmatazz2000, lvs1, ****XxheartsyouxX****, BlueHeavensAngel, msfcatlover, Ardikani4, Beforethedawnbreaks, crysintia, ****SSBB**** Gamer**, **PhinalPhantasy****, obsessivereader95,** **zelink **and **iawesome213.** There are only three more chapters left to finish the translation into English. We're still in touch.


	9. Revelations

**The Perfect Husband.**

**By Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 9: Revelations.**_

_**Ordon**__** Town…**_

The harvest dance in Ordon left a lot to talk about that year. Even a week later, everybody in town was commenting about Ilia's tantrum and its consequences, namely that kiss (accidental, of course) between Zelda and Link in front of everyone. Ilia had become even more enraged, if that was possible: during her whole life, she expected to be Link's first kiss. But no, the invader had shown up and stolen that pleasure, although she didn't want to acknowledge the fact that, of course, it had been her own fault for pushing her off the stage. As for Link and Zelda, after that, there was one thing very clear, they couldn't see each other as just "friends" anymore.

It was very early. At Link's home, Zelda was still asleep. And she once again was having that recurring dream. She was about four or five years old, walking along with her mother around the Castle Town. Suddenly, she ran off on her own, and she saw some children playing something, but she didn't know what. Curiosity got the best of her, and she went to see.

- _Hey, what are you boys playing? -_

- _Eh? Get lost, girl, this ain't for you. -_

- _Yeah, this' only for boys, see. -_

- _Hey, don't be so mean, I just asked. -_

- _We told ya to butt out. We don't like stupid girls who ask stupid questions. -_

- _I'm not a stupid girl! -_

- _Oh yeah? Look at her, she says she ain't stupid. -_

- _Heh, and take a look at this, she must think she's some stupid pretty princess with this. -_

- _Hey! That's my tiara, give it back! -_

The kids snagged her tiara, and making fun of her they began throwing it at each other, as she tried to recover it.

_- __Give it back! -_

_- You want this? You want this? -_

_- It's mine! Give it back! -_

_- You want it, take it back. That is, if you can, hahahahaha! -_

_- Stop it, give it back, please! -_

_- Alright, since you said "please", here you go. –_

_- __Aaaahh! -_

The next thing she knew was that she was shoved into the fountain. All wet, seeing and hearing as the kids laughed at her, she felt the tears going up to her eyes.

- _WAAAAAAAAH! MOMMYYYYYYYYY! -_

- _Hahaha, aw, she's quite the crybaby. -_

- _Hey! Who do you think you are, pushing her into the fountain? -_

- _Eh?_ -

In that very moment another boy showed up, and he began beating up the other kids. Even though he wasn't as big as them, he managed to get blood from one of the kids' nose and mouth, and made him run off, crying and calling out for his mommy. The other two tried to attack him at the same time, but while he received some hits, he kicked one of the bullies in the shin, and tripped up the other to make him fall to the floor nose first. The two bullies ran off (one of them rather limping) as the scaredy-cats they were. Next, he picked up Zelda's tiara to return it to her.

-_Try picking on someone your own size! You OK? -_

_- Uh… uh-huh, yes__. -_

_- __This is yours, isn't it? Don't cry. A girl as pretty as you shouldn't be sad. -_

- _Huh? -_

In that moment she could get a clear sight of him. The boy was not much older than her, he wore green clothes, he had messy blond hair… and blue eyes. She couldn't help but stare at those eyes.

_- __Zelda, dear! Where are you? -_

- _I'm here, mommy. -_

- _My daughter, why are you all wet? You better get changed immediately, or you might catch a cold. -_

- _Wait a moment. -_

Just as her mother was about to took her away, she turned towards the boy. She smiled at him with a bit of shyness, and took a deep breath to talk to him.

- _Thank you so much… -_

The boy smiled back at her, and in that instant his father came to take him away as well. They both walked away, but never looking away until they lost sight from each other. And right then, Zelda woke up.

- That dream… again. -

She placed her hand on her chest. This time she was able to totally remember it. Now she was completely sure it wasn't a dream: that had happened to her when she was little. The memory of that kind boy had remained there for years. But, who was he? And why did he seem so familiar?

- Those eyes… - Zelda whispered, recalling the warm, tender look the boy had given her.

She was sure she had seen those eyes somewhere else. And then, the realization hit her. Her mind went back in time to that day, when she was traveling through Ordon woods, when she ran into those bandits, and as though if he had been sent from heaven, Link showed up to help her. For some reason, in the very instant she saw his face she had the odd feeling that she had met him before, although she wasn't sure why. Zelda tried to imagine the faces of both the boy who appeared in her dreams and Link, and try and superpose them. The similarity was amazing, especially the eyes, they were exactly the same. Could it be possible? Was Link the same little boy she had met that day? She had no proof, but her instincts were shouting out loud that he definitely was. It was so strange, seemingly, the memory of that encounter when they were little had been erased from her mind, but not from her heart. Coincidence, destiny? Why couldn't she get him off of her mind?

- "Because you fell in love with him." – She answered to herself. – "Admit it; you've fallen in love with Link." -

She dropped herself in her bed again. She couldn't deny it anymore. She had fallen in love with him, that was for sure. But when did it happen? She recalled all what had happened since she met Link. Everything they had shared in that time. It had been only for a few months, but that had been probably the happiest time of her life. She had to acknowledge that she felt attracted to Link almost at first sight, and he seemed to like her too (Malon told her so). But Zelda wondered if he felt the same way as her in that level. Her heartbeat sped up when she thought about him, and not due to nervousness, but a joy she couldn't explain. A desire to be close to him… forever. But the strangest part was that both of them seemed to be trying to avoid each other, they became nervous when in front of the other, and they almost didn't talk when they were alone. Grandpa and Grandma, however, blamed it on what had happened in the dance (even though Link and Zelda didn't say a word, they learned it through everybody who was still talking about it in town), so they didn't ask any questions.

Zelda saw the morning light in her window, and she realized she had overslept more than usual. She changed her clothes and after washing herself she went downstairs to the dining hall. They probably had breakfast ready. Just as she stepped into it…

- SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Zelda! -

- Huh? -

Zelda took a moment to assimilate what was happening, and what she saw. Grandpa and Grandma were sitting on the table clapping their hands, and Aryll was throwing confetti. Link only smiled to her, not without a bit of shyness. In the middle of the table, there was a large chocolate cake with the words "Happy Birthday Zelda" written in pink, with 18 lit candles. And it was then she remembered: that day she was turning 18 years old. How could she have forgotten?

- What's the matter, Zelda? – Grandma asked upon noticing the young woman's silence. – Didn't you like our little surprise? -

- Huh? No, it's not that, of course I like it. – Zelda replied. – This is… so sweet of you, thanks. It's just that… I had forgotten. -

- Forgotten? Zelda, you normally don't forget your birthdays until you reach my age. – Grandpa joked. – Well, take your seat, what are you waiting for? You don't turn 18 everyday. From today you're officially of age. -

The young woman sat down, as the grandparents and Aryll sang Happy Birthday cheerfully. Link was not taking part in the song, but he was still smiling at her. When their looks crossed, Zelda felt like her hear wanted to pop out of her chest, and she became disconnected from the world around her, so much that Grandma had to give her some pats on the shoulder so that she came back to earth.

- Well, dear, what are you waiting for? Make a wish, and blow the candles. -

Zelda swallowed. Making a wish? What could she wish for? Her mind was flying around space, but after a few seconds, it landed on Link. In that moment, there was only one thing she wished…

- "Link…" – She thought as she was smiling, before blowing her 18 candles.

Meanwhile, outside of the house, Ilia, whose bad habits die hard, watched in anger how everyone happily celebrated the "invader's" birthday and tasted the delicious cake. For several years by then, Link had stopped attending her birthdays, and she couldn't understand how could so happily celebrate this girl's, whom she had known for such a short time. What did that girl have?

- Why? Why did you have to appear in our lives? -

After the dance, Link decided to utterly and definitely stop talking to her, not to mention everyone in town now saw her with wariness. Even her own father told her that he was very chagrined about her for making such a scandal. She had to admit she had lost control of herself. If she had to resign herself to the idea of Link preferring that "invader" before her, at least she would try to make amends with him. But that wouldn't be easy, not if he didn't want her close anymore.

* * *

><p><em><strong>That night<strong>__**…**_

That little celebration for Zelda's 18 years was the greatest she ever had. Not like her previous birthdays hadn't been good, but Zelda, for the first time in a very long while, felt as though she celebrated it "in family". She admitted that she felt part of that family, and officially becoming part of it was not unlikable at all.

- "Being part of the family…" – Zelda thought smiling. She had been living in that home for about 6 months. She felt really happy, she couldn't deny it, but she was wondering if it was time to go back to the castle. Maybe it was, but there was something which kept her attached to that home. Or rather, someone.

She had spent the last few nights pondering about everything what had happened since she arrived in town. And in all of those memories, one way or another, Link always had been there. She couldn't stop thinking about him. The boy had managed (maybe unknowingly) to earn a very special place in her heart. In that moment, when she blew the candles of her cake, her wish was to have a place in his heart. If she could have that, she wouldn't need anything else. It was not a simple infatuation, or capriciousness. No, Zelda loved him, she had no doubts. But there were still some complications. She didn't know if Link felt the same for her (although she wished dearly that he did). And he needed to know what would imply to have a serious relationship with her. She was worried that, maybe, once he found out, her might not accept it.

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK! **_The knocks on the door brought her back from her thoughts.

- Come in. – Zelda said. The door opened, and Link came in.

- Hey. – He said, smiling timidly. He had a small case in his hands. – I had forgotten to give you this. -

- What is it? – Zelda asked.

- Your birthday gift. – Link said, as she walked towards the bed.

- Hey, there's no need to give me a gift, really. -

- But I want to. – Link said, as she placed the case in her hand. – Come on, open it. -

A bit unsure, Zelda opened the case. Inside, there was a beautiful necklace made of fine silver, with three encrusted gems, a ruby, a sapphire and an emerald, placed in the same position as the Triforce.

- Do you like it? -

- It's beautiful. – She said, examining it. – Where did you get it? -

- It used to belong to my mother. – Link said. – My father gave it to her in one of their anniversaries. He spent several hours of extra work to buy it. -

- What? – Zelda was surprised. That necklace surely enough had a lot of meaning for Link and his family. Why was he giving it to her? – Link… I can't accept this, it's too much… I don't … -

- Why? Is it that you don't like it? -

- No, it's not that. – Zelda said. – This is a memento of your parents. It must have a lot of sentimental value for you. Why do you give it to me? -

- Because a special person deserves something special in her birthday. – Link said, holding her hands in between his. Zelda trembled a bit. What did that mean?

- Link… - Was all she could say.

- Zelda… I know you said you'd eventually have to leave, but… - Link seemed to be making a huge effort to bring out each word. – Is there any way I could convince you to stay here… with me? -

- What did you say? – Zelda's heartbeat sped up. Was Link about to say what she was thinking?

- I can't hold it back anymore. – Link continued. – Zelda… would you… would you… would you be my girlfriend? -

It was as if though a bunch of fireworks had gone off inside of Zelda in that very instant, just because of those words. Her mind was flying, and her heart was screaming at her to say yes.

- I know we haven't known each other for too long, but… Zelda, you're the most wonderful girl I've ever met. – He continued speaking. – I really like… no, I love you, and I want us to be together, not just as friends, get it? -

- I… - Zelda felt there was a whirlpool inside her. Those were the very words she wanted to hear. So then, why couldn't she give him an answer? She wanted to shout out loud yes, jump over him to hug him, kiss him… but somehow she couldn't say or do anything, save for placing her hand on her chest, trying to calm down her unstoppable heart. The words became lost when they got to her mouth.

- Zelda? -

- Link… I… this is… I need… some time to think about it. – Was everything she could say, her voice somewhat shaky.

- Hmm… OK, I understand. – He said, for some reason he looked a bit disappointed. – I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bother you. -

Link stood up and left the room. About five seconds later, Zelda looked at the necklace he had just given to her. The last few days she had been tormented by the uncertainty that maybe Link wouldn't feel the same as her. But that necklace he had given to her, plus what he had said, were an irrefutable proof that he returned her feelings. Wasn't that what she wanted? Why couldn't she say "yes" in that moment, even though she had the full intention to do so? What stopped her?

After regaining her composure, she was able to think clearly. Of course, it was "that". Link still didn't know it. He was still unaware of her "little secret", that she was the Princess of Hyrule. That secret she had been hiding from him all along. And she had promised that she would tell him when she was ready. Maybe, now it was time to do it. He had all the rights to know. The question was… how could she tell him? Would he believe her? And how would he react when he learned it? What should she do?

- "Whenever you feel unsure… you must listen to your heart. Do as your heart says, and leave the rest in the hands of fate." – Zelda suddenly remembered. That was another among so many advices her mother had given to her when she was still alive. In that very moment, she was before a very hard and important decision. What did her heart tell her?

After pondering on her options, she made a decision. She took her bag; she pulled out her inkpot, quill and two pieces of scroll. She also grabbed an envelope, and two golden seals, shaped as the Triforce with two angel wings on each side. She filled up the quill in the inkpot, and began writing.

- "It is time now…" – She thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next day<strong>__**…**_

Zelda didn't go down for breakfast that morning. Even though Link knocked at her door, she didn't answer. He eventually gave in and decided to leave her alone. The grandparents and Aryll were wondering if there was something wrong. Especially Grandma, who was the one who advised Link on giving Zelda his mother's necklace, after the young man (in secret) finally told her about his feelings for the girl. While Grandma told him not to worry, that maybe she just needed some time to think about it, she couldn't shake off a bad feeling about that.

Link left for the woods to go hunting, and Zelda saw him through her room's window. She held her chest tightly. She was feeling somewhat guilty for what she was doing, but she didn't see another way.

- Forgive me, Link. But this is the only way. – She whispered.

She had gotten up early to pack up her belongings. She had decided, it was time to go back to the Castle. She took one last glance to her room. It was really hard to leave that homely and comfortable place she had been living in for the past six months, but she couldn't stay there forever. Besides, she had finally found what she was looking for. She went to the dresser to take an envelope and a rolled up scroll, both of them sealed. With her stuff ready, she left the room. It was time to go.

- Ah, Zelda, you're finally here. – Grandma said upon seeing her. But then she noticed Zelda was carrying her bag with her belongings. – What's up with that? Are you going somewhere? -

- Grandma… I think it's time for me to return home. – Zelda said.

- Return home? – Grandma was surprised.

- You're leaving? – Aryll intervened, she was close by.

- Yes, I must depart now. I have… many things to do, especially now that I'm of age. -

- Zelda… did something bad happen last night? – Grandma asked.

- Huh? Something bad? No, no, of course not. – Zelda said.

- Well, then… can't you wait for Link to come back, so you can say goodbye to him too? -

- Hmm… - Zelda looked away. – If I do that, it will be harder for me to leave. I just don't want to make it harder. -

- Zelda… about last night, did my grandson tell you that…? -

- I remember clearly what he said to me. – Zelda smiled, yet with a bit of melancholy. – And that's why I must go now. But don't get me wrong. Believe me, I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me in these months. - Zelda handed Aryll the envelope and the rolled up scroll, and holding her hands, she looked into her eyes. – Please, Aryll, give this to your brother when he comes back. Everything will be clear when you read it. Don't open the envelope, only the note in the scroll, alright? -

- But Zelda… - Aryll was about to burst into tears.

- I'm so happy I could meet all of you. – Zelda said hugging the little girl. – I will always consider you my little sister, don't forget. -

And saying no more, Zelda left the house, leaving Grandma and Aryll more confused than ever. Aryll stared at the rolled up scroll. Zelda had told them everything would become clear when they had read it. Grandma couldn't help but wonder what could have happened for Zelda to suddenly leave like that. Zelda, meanwhile, went towards the stable to fetch Cloud, and while she had to struggle a bit to separate him from Epona (evidently the horses had become as close to each other as their owners), she rode him and left. Grandpa, who was still at the workshop, saw her leaving, and went back home to ask her granddaughter and wife what had happened, but they couldn't give him an answer. However, upon seeing the seals on the envelope and the scroll, they had the feeling that, just as Zelda had told them before leaving, everything would become clear when they had read it. Since the message was addressed to Link, they decided to wait for him to come back.

- "We shall meet again soon… I hope." – Zelda thought, taking one last look at the town before leaving it for good.

From afar, Ilia, who was still lurking around town, caught a glimpse of the girl whom she had taken so much of a disliking. And she couldn't help but wonder where she was going off. But with her riding on a horse she couldn't follow her. And in any case, she supposed it didn't matter anyway. If she was leaving town, maybe her nightmare would finally be over.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later<strong>__**…**_

Link came back home past midday, bringing her catch of the day. The boy had hurried as much as he could. He needed to talk to Zelda. She hadn't been able to give him an answer the night before. She hoped that, once he had returned, she would finally give it. Link had risked everything upon giving her that birthday gift, and with all his forces, he wished it had been worth it.

- I'm home! – He announced upon entering. Everyone was sitting on the table, staring at him as though they were sad for something. – Is anything wrong? Where's Zelda? -

The grandparents and Aryll stared at each other, as if though trying to decide who should give him the news. Surprisingly, the little girl got off of her chair, and walked towards her brother to talk to him.

- Zelda's gone. – She said.

- Gone? – Link asked, shocked. – What do you mean "she's gone"? -

- She said it was time for her to return home. – The little girl replied.

- Link… did something happen between you two last night? – Grandma asked.

- Something like what? – Link said. – I just gave her the necklace, and then… I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend. But she said she needed to think about it. I wonder… did I offend her with that? -

- I don't think so, son. – Grandma said. – But she was acting funny. Like… like she had something important to tell us, and she couldn't bring herself to. -

- Something important? – Link remembered in that moment. Zelda, as a matter of fact, had promised to tell him what was that "secret" she was keeping so zealously. But she had left without telling him, and furthermore, without giving him a response to his proposal.

Aryll pulled out the envelope and the scroll. – She asked me to give you this, brother. -

- What's this? -

- She said not to open the envelope, but read what's in the scroll. – Aryll said. – She said… everything would be clear when you read it. -

- Is it a farewell letter? -

Link took the scroll. When he was about to open it he saw the seal, and he quivered a bit. For all he knew, that seal could only have to do with the royalty (his grandfather had worked for the royal family when he was young, therefore he was familiar with it). Did that mean they had had a very important person as a guest in their home? Link unrolled the scroll, and saw the letter. She could notice the careful handwriting Zelda. Taking a deep breath, be began reading silently.

"_Dear Link:_

_I really hope you won't be angry at me for leaving so abruptly and without saying goodbye__. Please don't think I don't appreciate how kind and welcoming you and your family were to me during all this time, but it's time for me to return home. I also want to apologize for not giving you an answer directly, but after thinking about it, maybe this is the best way to do it._

_Link, it's time for me to tell you what I've hidden from you all this time. Actually, I am the Princess of Hyrule. It might sound incredible to you, but as a proof, the seal I placed in this letter shows that I belong to the royal family. I'm really sorry I hid it from you all this time, but I had my reasons. I wanted to live, if only for a little time, as a normal girl. And when I met you, I wanted you to see me as an equal and not as the Princess of Hyrule, so we could be real friends. Maybe you had noticed that I always tried not to talk more than necessary when you asked me about my family and whatnot. Of course, I never lied to you, but I know I wasn't fully honest in hiding it, and I hope you can forgive me for that too._

_As for my reasons for leaving the castle__, it was mainly because I was tired of all the hustle I was going through due to the search of suitor to marry. I wanted to have some time for myself, and that's why I took this trip. The traditions of the royal family dictate that I cannot be crowned as queen until I have gotten married, but I never found anyone among princes and nobles. I never told you this, but right before my mother died, she made me promise that I would marry for love, and I was resolved to grant her that final wish at any cost. What I never imagined… was that I would find the right person when I had stopped searching. Yes, Link, I'm talking about you. I'm sorry to tell you this way, but I want you to know that my answer is yes. And if you're willing to, believe me I would feel honored to be not just your girlfriend, but to become your wife. But I must prepare everything in the castle for your arrival. I know many people might not take this very well, but I have no regrets on my decision. These months I have spent with you have been the most wonderful of my life. I wouldn't like to spend the rest of my life with anyone else._

_Sincerely yours__,_

_Zelda._

_P.S: Inside the envelope there is a letter of introduction, so when you arrive to Hyrule Castle everyone will know who you are. I would like to clear up, however, that I'm not forcing you to do anything. If you decide not to come… I will understand."_

Link finished reading the letter. He couldn't really believe it. The Princess of Hyrule had been with him all along. She had slept in his home and eaten at his table. He had taken strolls with her, he had danced with her, he had seen her bathing, and on top of that, he had kissed her and asked her to be his girlfriend! He had fallen in love with a princess, and the most incredible was that she felt the same way for him. And she didn't even care that he was the humble grandson of a blacksmith. She introduced herself to him as an equal, never feeling superior or something, she was modest and kind. Of course, Link was able to notice that her manners, intelligence and maturity, which attracted him almost as her beauty, were quite above those of an average village girl. Maybe in the bottom he always knew there was more in her than met the eye. But he never imagined she could be the Princess of Hyrule.

- Well, son? – Grandpa asked. – What does it say? -

- Zelda… no, Princess Zelda. – Link said, calling her by her title. – We had the Princess of Hyrule in our home all this time. -

- What did you say? The… the Princess of Hyrule? – Grandma was shocked.

- Zelda's a princess? – Aryll asked. – But… how come…? Is it some joke? -

- I doubt it. – Grandpa intervened. – That seal is only used by the royal family. -

- Is that true? – Aryll asked again. – So then… Zelda's a princess, a REAL princess? -

- She is. – Link confirmed. – I can't believe it, I asked the Princess of Hyrule to be my girlfriend… and she said yes! -

- Well… shouldn't you be happy, then? – Grandpa asked, unsure about what to say.

Link felt confused. Normally he would be supposed to be happy, but for some reason, there was something else inside him. Was he upset because Zelda had hidden that secret from him all along? Was it due to the shock of learning that the Princess of Hyrule had befriended and fallen in love with him, as he had done with her? She loved him, a humble young man who couldn't offer her great riches and had no more nobility than that of his feelings. And she had become someone very precious to him. Link had never felt for anyone what she felt now for Zelda.

- She says she'll be waiting for me at Hyrule Castle. – Link finally said. – She says… she'll be preparing everything for my arrival. -

- And what'll you do? – Grandma asked.

- Hmm… well, it would be impolite to have her wait in vain, right? – Link said with a smirk.

- Now you're talking, son. – Grandpa smiled.

- In that case, you better start packing your stuff. – Grandma said. – The trip to Hyrule Castle will be very, very long. -

- Big brother, you're leaving too? – Aryll asked, she seemed about to cry.

- Zelda's waiting for me. – Link said. – I must go. -

He had made up his mind. He would go to the castle to see her. He didn't know what was waiting for him over there, but that wasn't important. What was really important was that Zelda would be there, waiting for him. And he would not let her down. Fate seemed to have written that they had to be together, and who was he to oppose its designs?

* * *

><p><em><strong>A few days later<strong>__**…**_

Link took his time in preparing his stuff for his trip. He would take some supplies for the path, money, his weapons in case some "mishap" should arise, and some winter clothes, as the cold season was approaching. He put everything in Epona's saddlebags, and he donned a travel cloak. Having everything ready, he put the ropes on his mare, and prepared to leave.

- Well, I guess that's it. – Grandpa said, helping him.

- Will you be OK without me, Grandpa? – Link asked.

- No need to worry. – Grandpa assured. – I'll find a new apprentice. -

- Be careful out there, son. – Grandma said, hugging him. – The paths can be treacherous sometimes. -

- I'll be careful, Grandma. – Link said, hugging her back. He then looked at his little sister, who seemed just about ready to burst into tears.

- Brother… -

- Aryll… - Link kneeled to hug her as well. The little girl didn't want him to see her cry; however, when she hugged him, Link could feel the tears falling in his shoulder.

- I… I don't… I don't want you to leave… - She said, her voice sounding shaky due to her crying.

- I'm not leaving forever. – Link assured. – I'll write a letter to you once I'm there. And I'll come and visit you whenever I can, I promise. -

- Brother… you will marry Zelda, right? -

- Hmm… - Link smiled. To think that in that moment, just when Zelda had just come into their lives, Aryll had said it as a joke (or maybe not). He never thought it would turn into reality. – Eventually, yes. –

- And… you'll invite us when you do, right? -

- Of course, sis, I wouldn't leave you out for anything. – He said hugging her again. After letting go of her, Link stared at his grandparents. – Alright… you know how it goes, don't tell anyone where I am or what I'm doing, OK? -

- We won't. – Grandpa assured. Grandma made a "my-lips-are-sealed" gesture.

- OK… take care. See you soon. -

Link rode Epona, and had her walk off. He had decided to leave early. He didn't want to run into his friends and acquaintances, not to give them any explanations. It was best to avoid that at all. Especially with…

- Link! Link, wait up! -

- "Aw dang." – Link thought upon recognizing the voice. It couldn't be anyone else but her.

- Link, hey, where you going with Epona? And why are you dressed like that, going on a trip or something? -

- "Sheesh, why of all people it had to be you?" – The last person Link wanted to run into before leaving town was Ilia. – Well… as a matter of fact… I'm going on a trip. – He said resigned.

- You're leaving? But where? – Ilia asked, surprised.

- That's none of your business. – Link said. – You wanted to tell me something? -

- I wanted to invite you for dinner at my home tomorrow. – Ilia declared as a fact. – You know, I wanted… to apologize for what happened in the dance, and… Well, anyhow. C'mon, won't you tell me where you going? -

- I said it's none of your business. And it's a long journey, I must go. -

- Why so much in a hurry? – Ilia asked. – How come you suddenly decide to go off like that? -

Link was starting to get irritated. – Listen up, Ilia. I'm fed up with your foolishnesses. Whatever I do, or whenever I go, that's none of your concern. So please do me a favor and step aside. It'll be a long way. – He had Epona walk away as Ilia stepped aside.

- Well, if you can't tell me where you're going, can you at least tell me when you'll be back? – She called out for him as he rode away.

Link stopped Epona, but didn't turn around.

- I don't know when I'll be back. There's… something important I have to do. And the sooner I go the better. Farewell. -

Saying no more, he spurred on Epona to have her run off out of town, ignoring Ilia's screams. The girl tried to run after him, but obviously she couldn't catch him up on foot. Link, meanwhile, decided not to look back out of fear of changing his mind, and Epona kept running away from the town, following the path through the woods.

After a long while, Link had Epona go on a soft trot. By that time, Ordon was virtually out of sight, save for a few houses behind the woods. Link stopped just for a little moment to take one last glance, before taking up that long journey to Hyrule Castle. It wasn't easy to leave his home behind, but Zelda was waiting for him, so with a firm step, he continued going forward, ready to meet up with his destiny…

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>**:**

What's up? Well, this chapter was rather short compared with the others, but I did what I wanted with it. Link finally knows, and took it rather well, so the two of them will be together very soon, and with no Ilia to annoy them.

Thanks again for the reviews to: **Beforethedawnbreaks, MetaGalleom, Demyx'sBFF, alice2917, Ardikani4, lv1s, , ZeldaManiac3102000, XxheartsyouxX, PhinalPhantasy, Amethyst 269, LunaMidnight, msfcatlover, sailorsweetart, Jimbobob5536, Amy, EverafterGirl05, Lolynka, obsessivereader95, She Wolfe, Hanzo of the Salamander **and** sakura dragonee the dragon. **We're almost done, people!


	10. Are you worthy?

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

_**Chapter**__** 10: Are you worthy?**_

_**Somewhere in**__** Hyrule…**_

Link had been riding across Hyrule fields for about two weeks. His journey to Hyrule Castle Town had been quite a long one, even though he advanced as fast as Epona could take him. He only stopped at the villages on the way for a single night to get supplies and rest, and the following morning he continued his traveling. There was only a single idea set in his mind: getting to the Castle as soon as possible, to see Zelda again.

The wintery winds had started blowing, as a sign that very soon snow would be falling upon the entire region, and Link had to put up with some cold air currents on the final trail of his journey. He managed to arrive in Kakariko Village just before nightfall with no major setbacks. He took a room in the town's inn for the night. Should everything go well, the next day he would be at last in the Castle Town.

Before going to sleep, however, Link took a peek through the window outside of his room. Being on a second floor, and considering also the elevation of the ground the inn had been built on, Link could see in the distance the stone-walled entrance to the Castle Town, and a bit further, right atop of the hill, the imposing Hyrule Castle itself. Judging by the distance, he wouldn't take more than two hours to get there while riding on Epona.

- I'll be seeing her soon… - He said smiling, and wondering if perhaps she too was looking through her own window, awaiting his arrival.

Link exhaled a sigh. The idea of becoming engaged to the Princess of Hyrule might seem like crazy for some people. And maybe it was, to a certain point. She was the heiress of the royal family, while he came from a humble line of blacksmiths. Link had grown up having to learn from a very early age how to make up for his living, while Zelda most likely had everything served on a golden tray. On the other hand, Link thought about all the liberties he had, which Zelda probably had lacked due to growing up locked in that castle. He wondered if he would have to give it all up by accepting to get engaged to her. However, the thought of Zelda being his ideal girl did not shake at all. And maybe, being married to her might have its advantages.

Night passed on quickly, and the dawn of the new day announced Link that the moment of truth was near. After breakfast, he went to the stable to pick up Epona, and he rode her to continue his journey to the castle. He had to wait for a bit for the drawbridge to be opened, and then he finally was able to enter the Castle Town.

Link looked around. He had been in that same place, just once, when he was still a little boy, and the place didn't seem very different to as he remembered. On the center square there was a fountain, which brought back vague memories to him. He had accompanied his father and grandfather to make a delivery for someone in the Castle Town. He recalled a group of naughty little boys, who without any consideration pushed a little girl into the fountain, and made her cry. Not exactly sure why, he went and stood up to them, while he was outnumbered, and while he didn't get out completely clean, he succeeded in scaring off those kids to get their mommies. Then, as a true little gentleman, he helped the poor girl, all wet, get out of the fountain. The girl was probably a year or so younger than him, she had short blond hair, and blue eyes which, despite being filled with tears at the moment, were really beautiful. Link recalled having told her that she was really pretty and that she shouldn't be sad, she smiled at him and barely managed to say "Thank you" when her mother showed up to take her. He never knew her name, but neither did he forget her eyes, those eyes…

- "Those eyes… they were the same as Zelda's that night…" – Link thought. – "Could it be…? -

Inside his head, Link tried to overlap the faces of Zelda and the little girl. Recalling that night when Zelda cried while hugging him, begging him to forgive her for treating him so badly, the eyes of both of them looked exactly the same. Coincidence? Had he really met the Princess of Hyrule in that moment? Link was starting to think that maybe their paths were destined to cross each other.

Link walked through the Castle Town, and he went towards the exit going to the hill where the castle was. The building looked even more imposing from close up, which made him feel somewhat nervous, but there was no turning back now. With a firm step, he had Epona walk towards the gate, watched by a couple of guards.

- Hold it right there! – They both screamed, raising their huge spears and pointing them at Link, Epona bucked out a bit, but Link managed to calm her down.

- Woah, woah, easy now, I bear no ill will. – Link said, raising his hands defensively.

- Who are you and what are you doing here? – One of the guards asked, still holding his lance tightly in case he tried something funny.

- OK… going straight to the point… - Link said, getting off of his mount. - … I've come to see Princess Zelda. -

- I beg your pardon, I must have misheard you. – The guard said, placing the hand on his ear. – Whom you said you've come to see? -

- Princess Zelda. -

Both of the guards burst out in laughter. Link decided to let them laugh as much as they wished; after all, they would soon have to swallow their laughs.

- Yeah, sure, and I'm the Prime Minister. Seriously kiddo, you better scram out of here. –

- I don't think so. – Link said, pulling out of his pouch the envelope containing the introduction letter Zelda had given him. – I'd suggest you take a look at this. -

- What's this? – The guard asked, and his smirk faded off upon seeing the seal with the royal family's crest. He then took a glance at Link, whose demeanor was imperturbable, and he made an affirmation gesture. The guard took the envelope, opened it up and pulled out the letter. His friend also approached to see, it read as follows:

"_By this letter, I, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, inform that the holder, whose name is Link, is the one I have chosen to be my future husband, and therefore, I command he will be allowed the entry to the castle and be treated with the utmost respect."_

The guards read the letter over and over again, even turning it upside down to try and make sure it wasn't some joke. But the envelope had the royal family's crest, and the letter had been written with the unmistakable and careful handwriting of Princess Zelda. There could be no mistake.

- It's not possible… so, this guy is… - One of the guards mumbled in disbelief.

- Whom the Princess was waiting for… - The other completed. – But it can't be, he's just a… -

- Hey, will you let me through already or what? – Link said, not allowing him to complete the statement, and because he was starting to get impatient.

- Huh? O-of course. My apologies, milord, you may pass. -

The two guards opened the gate; Link took back the letter, rode back on Epona and went through the large entrance. He felt somewhat weird by being called "milord", but he decided not to pay any mind to it. He supposed he'd have to get used to it. He decided not to think about it for the time being, and focus on what really mattered to him.

Meanwhile, from the window of her room, Zelda saw a rider approaching the castle's drawbridge. Despite the distance, she was able to recognize him immediately: it was Link, riding on Epona. Her heart almost exploded in joy. Link had finally come to see her. Those past weeks of not seeing him had been eternal to her, but at long last, the waiting was over. As she watched how the guards took Epona towards the royal stables, they lowered the drawbridge to allow Link enter the castle. Zelda wasted no time and cleaned up herself in front of the mirror to receive him.

Link was suddenly in the middle of the grand hall of the castle. He had never, in his whole life, set a foot on such a place. The floors were covered in red velvet carpets, the stoned walls were adorned with large, beautiful stained-glass windows, and there was a large golden chandelier hanging above him. With all of that, Link felt as though he himself was the only thing out of place.

- So… you are Princess Zelda's future husband. – A raucous voice spoke behind Link.

Link turned around. Before him there was an elderly man, no taller than him, fat and a tad balding, with a large walrus-like moustache. The man was dressed in an elegant, midnight-blue coat with silver ornaments, and stared at Link as if though he was evaluating him.

- Eh… yeah. – Link replied, unsure about what to say. - And… you are…? -

- The Prime Minister. – The man replied.

- Er… well, pleased to meet you, Mr. Prime Minister. – Link said, extending his hand. The Prime Minister glanced at Link's hand, somewhat mistrustful, but a few seconds later he shook it, although wearily.

- You certainly are… not what I expected. – The Minister said. - The Princess has very… peculiar tastes. -

Link felt somewhat uncomfortable. This man looked at him with a bit of contempt, and spoke dragging his words. Apparently, the Prime Minister did not share Zelda's point of view in regards to people of humble origins.

- Tell me something, boy. – He continued, looking somewhat uninterested. – How far have you and the Princess gone in your relationship? -

- What… what do you mean? – Link gulped down at the question.

- I just want to be sure … that you can be trusted. – The Minister said.

- Mr. Minister. – Another voice spoke, this time it was a female voice, but somewhat deep. – Is that the way to welcome our guests? -

Link and the Minister turned around to see a woman in her middle thirties; she had pale skin, red eyes and short white hair tied up in a low ponytail. She wore skin-tight clothes which made evident that she boasted a rather strong complexion for a woman, and she was even a couple of inches taller than Link. The woman stared somewhat severe at the Minister.

- Lady Impa. – He said.

- I'll be taking care of this boy now, if you don't mind. – The woman said, making a gesture like saying "you may be going now". The Minister exhaled an "hmph!" and left. Link seemed a bit intimidated, but just as the Minister left, the woman's expression softened, and she smiled at him. – I'd like to offer you my apologies. Not everyone here is like him. So, I assume you must be Link? -

- Yeah, I am. – Link made an effort to try and smile back. Despite her somewhat tough-looking demeanor, she seemed much nicer than the Prime Minister. – Eh… Lady Impa? -

- You may call me just Impa. I'm Princess Zelda's attendant, her guardian, in a manner of speaking. – She said. – I was looking forward to meet you. Zelda has been speaking about you nonstop since she arrived. -

- Really? – Link asked, but before Impa could give him an answer, she saw someone walking down the stairs. As she approached, he could see it was Zelda, although very different from how he had previously seen her.

Zelda's hair was no longer dark brown, but it had reverted back to its natural blond. She no longer had it all down, as the lower part had been tied in a braid. She was wearing an elegant royal gown, dark blue in the upper body, and the skirt, going down to the floor, was light blue. She wore a golden tiara with a sapphire on the center, and golden shoulder pads, both of them held by a large golden brooch on her chest, which looked somewhat like a phoenix with its wings opened. However, her face, aside from the blue eyeshade and a deep red lipstick, looked exactly the same as they last time they had met. Zelda walked down the stairs slowly, never looking away from Link, and smiling. Link thought he had never seen her so happy.

- You've finally come. – Was the first thing she said, as she held his hands.

- I wouldn't… leave you waiting. – He said timidly.

- I knew you would never do that. – Zelda continued. – I'm really sorry I didn't tell you this in person. I had no idea how would you take it. –

- It's alright, it's just that… I was really surprised, that's all. – He couldn't think of anything else to say.

- I hope this won't change anything between us. – Zelda said, and then she turned towards Impa. – Impa, can you please take him to his new room? -

- Of course. – Impa nodded.

Zelda smiled at Link one last time, and walked through a corridor towards another part of the castle, while Impa gestured to Link to follow her upstairs, towards the castle's third floor.

As they walked through the corridor, Link suddenly stopped before the painting of a woman. Something in her caught his attention: the boy noticed she greatly resembled Zelda, except for her dark blond hair, different from Zelda's bright blond. However, the form of her face, her facial traits, and especially the eyes were identical to those of Zelda. Under the frame there was a large golden plate, reading "Queen Selena Harkinian I". Impa, who was walking ahead of him, took a moment to notice that he wasn't following her. She noticed the boy had stopped to take a look at the Queen's portrait, so she approached him.

- A great painting, isn't it? – She said.

- Yeah. – Link admitted, the portrait had been painted so well it almost seemed alive. – Who is she? -

- She's Queen Selena, Zelda's late mother. – Impa replied.

- I figured as much. – Link said. – The resemblance is amazing. -

- She was a great monarch, we all miss her here. – Impa said, and for the first time Link noticed a small touch of sadness in her voice. – It was really sad that she died so young; she was only 37 years old. -

- I see. – Link said. Zelda had already told him and his family that her mother had succumbed to an illness, roughly a year before they had met. – What was she like? -

- She was a very strong-willed woman. She had leadership qualities and always stood on her dignity. But she also had her heart in the right place. She always looked out for the well-being of her people. And more importantly, she used to say that, among all his treasures, her daughter was the most precious to her. -

Link looked at the portrait again. In the time Zelda lived at his home, she didn't speak too much of her own family, but he always noticed that every little thing she said about her mother, always came with a mixture of pride and sadness. It was clear that Zelda admired and loved her mother greatly, and it was no surprise. Link could tell by just looking at her into the eyes, even the portrait reflected that look of love and compassion Zelda had.

- We better go on. – Impa said, bringing him back from his thoughts. – Your room is waiting. It will be only temporal, until you and Zelda move into the matrimony chamber, but I hope you'll be comfortable. -

Link nodded, and taking one last glance at the portrait, followed Impa through the castle.

* * *

><p><em><strong>As the days went by<strong>__**…**_

Getting used to his new home was no easy feat for Link. He felt very weird about some things, especially about the clothes he had to wear, and now he was served everything at the time of his meals. He frequently had to say "I can do it myself, thanks a lot" whenever the servants tried to do something for him. Nevertheless, this independent attitude he showed was seen with good eyes by Impa and almost everyone in the castle. And by saying "almost", it meant that the only exception was the Prime Minister, who was still unwilling to accept that the Princess had chosen a blacksmith apprentice as her future husband.

As Zelda's fiancé, aside from sharing some privileges with her, he also had to share some responsibilities. After breakfast, they both spent the mornings in the library, where Zelda tried to teach Link about what she knew about the history of Hyrule, the ancient Hylian language, and everything else. He was lucky that Zelda was helping him with that, since he didn't get along very much with books. On the other hand, when he was taken to the castles swordplay instructor, a burly man who was probably twice the size of Link, not even 20 seconds had passed when his sword ended up flying off of his hands (and it was a two-handed sword). They were surprised that such a young man was able to wield a sword with such skill, and when he was asked who had taught him, he answered by saying he had learned mostly by imitating his father and grandfather since a very short age. Link had also begun attending the royal council meetings, where they discussed about things like the diplomatic relationships with the neighbor kingdoms and many other things Link didn't quite understand. He was making a huge effort to not to fall asleep in front of Zelda, but in a couple of occasions, he managed to catch a glimpse of an expression almost as his own in her face.

Since they couldn't leave the castle, the two of them spent their free time taking strolls on the courtyards. In one such occasion, Zelda took him to visit a rosebush, which grew lonely in a small bed, very far from the other flowers planted around. Zelda told him that her mother had planted that rosebush when she had just been born, and she had been taking care of it with a lot of love since then. After the queen became ill and later passed away, Impa and Zelda took on the responsibility of taking care of it. Link looked at it closely: if it had been planted when Zelda was born, that rosebush would be about 18 years old, and even so it looked beautiful and full of life.

- I'm thinking about using some of these for my bouquet in our wedding. – Zelda said, caressing the petals of one of the roses. Link thought that maybe Zelda's mother would have wanted it that way. Who knows, maybe that had been precisely the reason she had planted it in the first place, so that her daughter could use them in her wedding's day.

Even so, it wasn't easy for them to find time for themselves. The Prime Minister frequently followed their steps wherever they went, and should he not be able to do it personally, he would sent some of the guards to report him if they were on something to be considered "undue". Impa said nonstop that it was a foolish thing, not to mention that both Link and Zelda were really upset that they couldn't have some privacy, which they had rights to as "future husband and wife". The Prime Minister, who was simply predisposed to think badly of Link, was founding on that "they didn't know his origins, and they had no way to know if he was trustworthy" to justify his attitude.

On an afternoon, about ten days after Link had arrived at the castle, they received an unexpected visit. From the window of her room, Zelda could see an elegant carriage (evidently, it had used the carriage gate on the west wall of the Castle Town), and somebody was stepping out of it. Somewhat confused, and wondering why she hadn't been informed, she left what she was doing, and walked downstairs to find out.

Upon arriving at the hall, the Prime Minister was already there, apparently waiting to greet whoever was the unexpected guest. She was about to ask him if he was expecting someone, but she saved the effort when the doors opened up, and a guard entered announcing:

- Prime Minister, your son Zephyr is here. -

- Him? – Zelda didn't seem happy to hear that. Link, who was close by, caught a glimpse of the gesture she made, and that gave him a bad feeling. A few seconds later, the so-called son of the Prime Minister entered, and his father welcomed him with a hug.

- I'm so glad to see you, son. – The Minister said. – Did you have a nice trip? -

- A bit shaky, but alright as far as I can tell, Father. – He replied.

This young man didn't seem older than Link. He was tall with broad shoulders, wavy, greenish-blond hair, purple eyes and a square jaw. He wore formal clothes matching the color of his eyes. Maybe it was Link's imagination, but he had the looks of someone very arrogant. However, he got a hold of himself so as not to make a scene in front of Zelda.

- It's a pleasure to see you again… Princess Zelda. – He said, making a slight reverence.

- Zephyr… - Zelda didn't seem particularly eager to greet him back. – What is the reason for the… honor of your visit? -

Link had no doubts, Zelda would have wanted to use any other word, but he chose that one so as to be polite.

- Well, I learned that you finally have chosen your future husband. I came here to… pay my respects, and to meet the… fortunate one. -

- Yes… of course. – Zelda said, obviously she didn't buy that story. – Link, this is Zephyr, the son of the Prime Minister. Zephyr… my fiancé, Link. -

Zephyr extended his hand with a broad grin. By looking into his eyes, Link had a strange sensation, as if though he felt that his grin was not sincere. Out of courtesy, however, he shook hands with Zephyr, holding back the impulse of crunching his fingers.

- Zephyr, please come with me, I'll take you to your room. – The Prime Minister said.

- Certainly, Father. – Zephyr kept on smiling, but for a split second, Link saw a small flash of disdain in his eyes. Once father and son were out of sight, Zelda finally decided to speak up.

- Why did that haughty idiot have to come here? – She said, crackling his teeth. – I hoped I wouldn't have to see him again. -

- You've met him before? – Link asked. Zelda nodded.

- It was before I had left the castle. – Zelda explained. – He was one of the candidates who came here when I was searching for a suitor. -

- Something happened? – Link asked, although his instincts were already telling him the answer to that question.

- Just a single dance with him was enough for me to say no. – Zelda said. – He thinks highly of himself only because his father is the Prime Minister. He wouldn't stop talking about himself, and how I would never find anyone else like him, that he was whom I needed… -

- I assume that he didn't take it too well when you said no? – Link said, Zelda nodded again.

- I don't like him, and I don't care that he's the son of the Prime Minister. – Zelda said.

- I'm telling you; just a single glance and I don't like him either. – Link admitted.

Zelda looked at Link. Her fiancé seemed to have a good eye to know whom he could trust. That was a good thing. That Zephyr gave him the chills when he approached, but with Link around, she could feel protected.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A bit later<strong>__**…**_

Zephyr had dinner with them that evening. Link and Zelda didn't quite feel quite comfortable having him as a guest, and just keeping their composure was taking them their complete willpower. During the dinner, the Prime Minister talked nonstop with Zephyr, and Link couldn't help but think that their relationship as father and son was fairly evident. Although it seemed that the genes of arrogance were more developed in the son than in the father. Zelda and Link, on the other hand, preferred to stay clear from their conversation, and they wouldn't speak unless they were explicitly called upon (which, fortunately, didn't happen very often).

After dinner, Zelda walked away for a moment to speak to Impa. Link, meanwhile, stayed at the dining hall, and he was quite surprised when Zephyr approached and spoke to him.

- I envy you, Link. I hope you know you're very lucky to be engaged to the Princess of Hyrule. -

- I couldn't care less about her being a princess. – Link replied. – She's a wonderful girl, and that's more than enough for me. -

- Indeed, but the crown she carries along isn't contemptible either, is it? -

- You seem to care big deal about that crown. – Link suggested, somewhat challenging.

- Obviously. – Zephyr said. – Do you have an idea on how many men would do anything for it? Many candidates came to try and earn the Princess' hand in marriage. -

- Yeah… and I understand you were one of them. And you were rejected, just like the others, right? -

Zephyr's cheeks blushed slightly. That had been a blow below the belt. However, he managed to regain his composure shortly after. A few minutes of silence later, he spoke again.

- So… when did you meet Princess Zelda? -

- About half a year ago. – Link replied.

- Hmm… and, if I may ask, where are you from? -

- From the town of Ordon. – Link replied.

- Ordon? That's a very small town. What did you work on? -

- I come… from a line of blacksmiths. – Link said.

- Oh, so… you're a blacksmith. – Zephyr seemed rather surprised with that answer.

- Is anything wrong? -

- Oh, no, no. It's just that, I didn't expect the Princess' fiancé to be someone as… well, I expected someone with higher standing. -

Link didn't like the sound of that at all. Evidently, Zephyr looked down on him for his humble origins. He felt rage boiling inside.

- Ah, but don't worry. I'm sure that even someone like you can learn what it takes to be a true noble. – Zephyr said. For some reason, he made no effort to hide the contempt in his voice. Link couldn't hold himself back anymore. Maybe he should tell one or two truths in his face.

- Listen up. If you have some problem with my origins, you can say it out loud, I don't care. – He said firmly. – I might not be the son of a Minister, but at least I have my heart in the right place. -

- Buf, do you really think that counts? – Zephyr mocked him. – To be honest, how she could choose you is beyond my understanding. Even the lowest of the courtiers would make the cut better than you. -

- Take that back. – A female voice said. Zephyr and Link turned around, it was Zelda; she had come back already and was glaring at Zephyr with anger.

- Excuse me? – Zephyr said.

- I said take back what you've just said. – Zelda said. – Nobody is going to disrespect my fiancé. -

- Oh, I didn't mean… my apologies… Link. – Zephyr said doing a courteous bow, which still came across as fake.

- Keep it to yourself. – Link said. He wouldn't take any apologies unless they were sincere.

- We better go to bed now. – Zelda suggested. – I'll see you in the morning. -

Link and Zelda left the hall. After going upstairs, they took separate ways to their respective rooms. Meanwhile, the fake courtesy expression had completely vanished from Zephyr's face.

- I'll see you… sooner than you think… Zelda. – He said as he walked upstairs, and making sure that Link was far enough, he followed Zelda to her room.

Zelda intended to take a bath before going to sleep. She was about to take off her clothes when suddenly somebody knocked at her door. Wondering who could be, she walked towards the door and opened it. Oh, surprise, it was the very person she expected or wished to see.

- Good evening. -

- Zephyr, you can't be here, it's my room. – Zelda tried to close back the door, but Zephyr prevented her from doing so with his arm and leg.

- I just want to talk to you. – Zephyr said.

- Well, you'll have to forgive me, but I don't have anything to talk with you. -

- This is important. Please… -

- Go away. I don't want you here. – Zelda insisted.

- Princess, is that the way you treat your guests? -

After a long while of insistence, Zelda allowed him in, although reluctantly and letting out a snort in anger. Just as a precaution she tried to keep her distance. Zephyr entered the room and proceeded to lock the door.

- I you don't mind, I would rather have that door unlocked. – Zelda said.

- And I would rather not to be interrupted. – Zephyr replied. – Zelda, we seriously need to talk, this is really important for me. -

- I am Princess Zelda for you. – Zelda made emphasis on her title. – And whatever you want to talk, make haste. -

- Alright… Princess. – Zephyr said. – Listen, I think you should cancel your compromise with that boy, Link. -

- And why should I do that? -

- He doesn't befit you. He doesn't have the necessary origins. He's not worthy of you. -

- What's your reason to say that? – Zelda placed her hands on her waist; she was starting to get angry.

- Princess, your fiancé is no more than a miserable blacksmith. – Zephyr said. – What could someone like him offer to you? -

- You would be surprised on how many things he has given me in the time I have known him. – Zelda said. – He might not have money, titles or anything of that, but he has given me many things much more important. Friendship, affection, loyalty… love. -

Moved by a hunch of sorts, Link had not gone to sleep immediately. In that very instant, he was walking through the corridor leading to Zelda's room. When he approached the door, he heard the voices of Zelda and Zephyr speaking inside. For a brief moment, he almost wanted to break into the room, but instead, he placed his ear on the door to listen closely.

- Love? What nonsense is that? – Zephyr snickered. – Since when does love decide whom you should marry? -

- That's the way the Goddesses demand it. – Zelda said. – I love Link, and I promised to my mother before she died that I would get married out of love. -

- Oh, that's so touching of you. – Zephyr mocked as she made a "dreamy" gesture. – You intend to fulfill her final wish. But you don't understand, someone like him doesn't deserve to bear that crown. Only a real man deserves to bear it, a man worthy of it, and worthy of you. -

- Like you, for example? – Zelda crossed her arms. – Not in this lifetime. -

- Princess, I'm the son of the Prime Minister. If I want something, I get it. – Zephyr declared as a fact.

- You don't stand above me. – Zelda countered. – And no matter who you are, you can't always have what you want. Now, get out of my room. -

Zephyr didn't move, neither he said anything. From outside, Link, upon not hearing anything, knew that it could only mean bad news. He tried to open the door and he noticed it was locked. He started to feel panic. What should he do? Zelda was locked up in there with that bastard, who was definitely up to no good with her. Should he run off to get the guards?

- Are you deaf? – Zelda insisted again. – I said, get out of my room. It's an order. -

- I'm afraid I can't obey you. -

- What do you think you're doing? – A chill went down Zelda's spine.

- Maybe, you just need me to show you what a real man is. – Zephyr said, as he walked towards her.

- Don't come any closer. – Zelda stepped back.

- Come on, little princess. – Zephyr said. – You can't resist, and you know it. -

- I'm warning you, stay away from me. – Zelda tried to get away, but unfortunately her back ran into the wall.

- You're so difficult. – He brusquely grabbed her wrists. – I've told you, if I want something, I get it, and right now, I want you. -

- Let me go! – Zelda shouted, struggling to free herself, but Zephyr was gripping her wrists really tightly. – You're hurting me! -

- I you cooperate, I won't have the need of hurting you. – Zephyr smiled evilly, as he tried to get his lips to Zelda's.

- Get off me! – Zelda tried to at least look away; she wouldn't let that scoundrel kiss her.

- What the hell's going on in there? –Link screamed from the outside, slamming the door. – Open the door! -

- Link! – Zelda shouted upon recognizing his voice. – Zephyr's trying to…! Hmmm-hmmm-hmmm! -

- Remain silent, dear, you look prettier when you're quiet. -

- Zephyr! Now I'll show you, bastard! -

As Zelda struggled with Zephyr inside the room, in the outside Link furiously slammed the door. The door, made of sturdy oak, resisted his efforts for a while, but at least, at the will to protect his fiancée from that bastard, his forces centuplicated in a single blow, and the door finally yielded, almost getting off of its hinges due to the blow, right when Zephyr had forced Zelda into the bed.

- Get off of her, you filthy cad! -

The next thing Zelda knew was that Link got a hold of Zephyr's neck and forced him to let go of her. He turned him around, and punched him so hard in his face he fell to the floor. Once she was out of his reach, Zelda instinctively ran off to hug Link. Zephyr got back on his feet, wiped off the blood and glared at Link with hatred.

- You always have to be close to ruin everything, don't you, blacksmith boy? – He said with irony.

- If you dare touching one of Zelda's hairs again... – Link warned him, placing himself in front of Zelda to shield her.

- What will you do? – Zephyr asked, trying to adjust his jaw, it seemed to have been a tad dislodged. – Have you forgotten who my father is? If he finds out what you've done to me, you'll pay dearly. -

- Running off to find your daddy, huh? – Link said. – If he was unable to teach you how to behave yourself, maybe someone else should do it. – He punched his palm.

- Calm down, Link. – Zelda stopped him. – Zephyr, I don't care that you're the son of the Prime Minister. I've made my decision, and nothing you do or say will make me change my mind. -

- Are you kidding me? – Zephyr wouldn't give up so easily. – You can't give him the crown of your kingdom! -

- My crown, that's all you care about. – Zelda defied him. – No, Zephyr, someone as you doesn't deserve my crown. The only one worthy of my crown is Link, and that's why I'll marry him. -

- You're going to marry this… this… filthy pauper, when you could have me? You would tarnish the purity of your noble lineage with the son of a blacksmith? -

- Don't you dare insult him! He might be the son of a blacksmith, but Link is one hundred times a better man than you. And no doubt he would make a better husband, and a better king than you. -

- That's enough. – Zephyr said, already enraged. – You'll be mine, whether you want or not! -

- Not on my watch! – Link stepped in.

Both young men came to blows, however, Zephyr ended up receiving the worst part, he evidently wasn't used to fight "the old-fashioned way", unlike Link, despite not having his sword at hand, he knew very well how to use his fists alone to defend what was rightfully his. Zelda remained away from the fight, until she noticed Zephyr tried to pull out a silver dagger hidden in his belt, and foreseeing his intentions, she launched a stunning spell, hitting him hard on the back and causing him to fall to the floor face first, and not wasting a second, she stomped with her high-heeled shoe on his hand and kicked the dagger away from his reach.

- What in the world is happening here? – The Prime Minister suddenly appeared in the door, followed by Impa and several guards. Obviously, some of them either heard or saw the ruckus, and ran off to alert the other. – But what's this supposed to mean? – The Minister shouted upon seeing his son lying on the floor, his mouth and nose covered in blood, and a large hole on his jacked showing a large red zone on his back, as a result of the spell Zelda had thrown at him.

- Father… - Zephyr could barely speak.

- What have you done to my son? – The Minister shouted in rage, and then he turned to see Link. - You! It was you, right? You attacked my son! -

- I don't deny it, but… -

- Shut up! I knew you were not to be trusted! Guards, throw him into the dungeon! -

- Stop! – Zelda shouted, getting in the way between the guards' spears and Link. – You're not taking him anywhere. -

- But Princess… -

- Silence! – She ordered in a stentorian voice, the Prime Minister stepped back. It was the first time ever he had seen the Princess taking an authoritarian attitude. – If you're planning on throwing someone into the dungeon, that should be your own son, Prime Minister. Nobody will touch my fiancé. -

- But what are you saying? -

- Prime Minister, I think we should allow the Princess to explain us what happened here. – Impa suggested, since she completely trusted Zelda's criteria, and by extension she trusted Link, she didn't hurry and jumped to conclusions.

The Prime Minister still wanted so badly to have Link be thrown into the dungeon, but even so the Princess of Hyrule stood above him, so he had to obey her orders. He made a gesture to the guards so they lowered their weapons, and once they did, Zelda explained herself.

- Link, you do admit you attacked Zephyr, don't you? – Zelda asked, and Link in response nodded firmly. – But, did the Prime Minister ever ask why you did it? -

- He was trying to abuse you. – Link said, imperturbable. – I couldn't stand still watching him do as he pleased with you. -

- They're lying, Father, don't believe them. Ouch! – Zephyr tried to defend himself, but Zelda once again stomped on his hand, directly where she had done it previously.

- You're a coward, a hypocrite and a completely disgraceful bastard. – Zelda said. – And still you wanted to get married to me? -

- But what are you talking about, Princess? – The Prime Minister was completely shocked.

- What I'm talking about, Prime Minister, is that your dear son here tried to physically abuse me, only because he wouldn't take a no for an answer when he proposed to me. – Zelda said it with such a calm voice it was almost scary. – I believe we had already made clear on whom I have chosen to be my husband. Your son only cares about my crown, nothing else. And it seems he intended to take it by force, if it was necessary. -

- This is unconceivable! -

- I'm telling you the truth. – Zelda continued. – And if you want more proof, just take a look to that silver dagger. – Zelda pointed at the aforementioned dagger she had kicked out of the reach of Zephyr. – He was about to attack Link with it, I saw him. -

The Prime Minister was at a loss for words. His own son, going as far as to attempt a murder just for a whim? For a brief moment, he tried to convince himself that his eyes and ears deceived him, that Link had somehow brainwashed the Princess to defend him, that his son wouldn't do such a thing, but no, he was forced to accept the facts. The guards seized Zephyr and dragged him to the dungeons, as he screamed and wrestled against them all the way. Link decided to go to his room, it had been too much for that day, and the Prime Minister went and locked up in his office. Only Impa stayed with Zelda in the room.

- Are you alright? – She asked.

- Yes. That scoundrel didn't get to do anything to me. – Zelda said.

- You were lucky that Link was close, weren't you? – Impa commented.

- I wouldn't call it luck. – Zelda said smiling. – The Goddesses put him in my path for a reason. And I know perfectly what it is. -

Impa couldn't help but agree on that. Zelda hadn't been wrong upon choosing her fiancé. Meanwhile, they took a look at the room's door, it almost fell off of its hinges.

- With the door like this you can't sleep here tonight. – Impa said. – It seems you'll have to move to the matrimony chamber before than we expected. -

* * *

><p><em><strong>Several nights later<strong>__**…**_

After the quarrel between Zephyr and Link, the son of the Prime Minister spent three nights of solitary confinement in the castle's dungeon as punishment. Zelda thought it might be a good way to teach him that he couldn't always get what he wanted, or get everything served in a silver tray. When he was finally released, Zelda gave off an official order to forbid his entrance to the Castle for life. That same afternoon, he was sent back home in his carriage, and even from afar he could still be heard cursing through his teeth against Link.

One would have expected that things would be better for Link thanks to that incident, but the truth was that the Prime Minister, while he took no pride in his son's actions, he still held Link responsible for the beating he gave him (no matter that it had been a justifiable cause), and for kicking him out of the castle. Founding on the fact that Link had aggressively attacked his son, the Prime Minister still told Zelda that he could be violent and dangerous. He still didn't trust him, and it didn't seem that he would change his mind in a near future, something made very clear with his glares, and his warnings.

- I know that the princess trusts you… but I'm warning you, boy. At the smallest foul, I'll make sure that you can't set a foot on this castle, and if you do, you'll go directly to the dungeon. -

Both Link and Zelda knew that the Prime Minister would only dare to speak him so because he was still in quality of "the Princess' fiancé". But whether he liked it or not, he'll have to respect him once he and Zelda had gotten married, and both of them were crowned as king and queen. However, there was still time left before that, and unwilling to give the Prime Minister reasons to get the others against him, Link had decided to minimize his contact with Zelda until then. This wasn't easy at all, though. The fact of being engaged to her made him feel a greater wish to be by her side and demonstrate his love for her. But as he didn't want to get in troubles, Link tried to avoid staying all alone with Zelda, just so as to "not raising any suspicions" from the Prime Minister, they barely talked, and whenever their looks met, he immediately looked away. This behavior didn't go unnoticed by Zelda, and although she was fully aware of his reasons (and didn't blame him, either) she was really annoyed that for such a foolish thing she and Link wouldn't be able to demonstrate their feelings. Besides, Link seemed to have forgotten that he was under her protection, and that the Prime Minister wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him no matter how much he wanted to. She had to do something to set things straight.

That night, Link walked through the long corridor, slowly and nervously. Zelda had summoned him to come over to the matrimony chamber, after dinner, once everyone (especially the Prime Minister) was already asleep. He seemed to be rather worried, inside he wondered if he had done something wrong, and maybe she was angry. Maybe the reason had something to do with his frequent clashes with the Prime Minister, who was still flatly opposing to the idea of him being the fiancé of the Princess of Hyrule. Link was praying so the Minister wouldn't have made her change her mind about it.

He finally reached the door of the matrimony chamber. The door was surrounded by a golden frame, with the royal family's crest on top. Right at Link's height there was a gold knocker, and Link supposed it would best to use it to knock on the door. Entering the room of a girl was one thing, but entering the room of a princess, now that was on a completely different level. Then again, being the matrimony chamber, they would eventually occupy it together, so this was, so to speak, doing it a bit ahead of time. He gulped down and took a deep breath before grabbing the knocker.

_**KNOCK! KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

- Come in. – Zelda's voice answered.

Link had to gather up his strength to take his hand to the doorknob, and using all of his willpower, he turned it to open it. Link only opened the door halfway, to finally take a look at the matrimony chamber. He thought the room he had been given had been a complete luxury, but it was nothing compared to this much larger chamber. There was a large matrimonial canopy bed covered with blue velvet curtains, with golden ropes holding them, matching the sheets and pillows. There was a dresser with a magnificent, golden-framed mirror, and the drawers' handles were made of gold as well. There were two clothes closets, one of them partially open, and Link could see a large collection of elegant gowns. The room's window was adorned with an impressive stained-glass, which seemed to represent Zelda herself, or otherwise a close relative of her greatly resembling her. Zelda was sitting on the bed's edge, her legs crossed. She was barefoot, only wearing her blue nightgown, and her hair was completely down, without the tiara or any of the other adornments she usually wore. Link couldn't help but flushing a little upon seeing her, especially for the way she looked at him.

- I've been waiting for you. – Zelda said. She then moved aside, and touched the bed with her hand, obviously telling Link to sit next to him. – Come here. We need to talk. -

Link obliged immediately. Zelda didn't seem to be upset, which was a great relief to him, but he still wondered, what did she want? Why did she summon him to this room in the night? Something was for sure, no doubt it was a private matter.

- Link… I want you to answer me something. Why have you been avoiding me the past few days? -

- Avoiding you? What are you talking about? – Link didn't understand.

- You know very well. Since that fight you had with Zephyr, we barely speak to each other. And you hardly even approach me... you wouldn't even dare to touch me. – Zelda said. – You seem to be trying to minimize our contact. Why? -

- Well, I… -

Link wasn't sure about what to say. Or rather, he did know what to say, but he didn't know how to. He had been avoiding her, that much was true. But that was greatly due to the threats of the Prime Minister. He didn't want to get in troubles, and furthermore, he didn't want HER to get in troubles because of him. He never intended to stay away from Zelda, but out of fear of being caught on a situation to be considered… "improper", he unknowingly had distanced himself from her.

- Forgive me, I never… it's just that… well, the Prime Minister had been telling me… -

- "Don't you dare doing something bad to the Princess", or something to that extent, am I right? – Zelda completed.

- Yeah, pretty much that's it. - Link nodded. – I don't want you to have problems because of me. -

- Is that so, Link? – Zelda asked, looking at him inquisitively. – Or is there something else? -

Link gulped down. Come to think about it, effectively, there was something else. Something bugging him since he had first arrived to the castle.

- Zelda… I… I've been wondering. – He finally said. – The Minister… and Zephyr, they both said that… that someone like me is not worthy to marry you. -

- Did they say that? – Zelda said, with a calm voice. Of course she knew it very well, but there was a slight spark of indignation in her eyes.

- It must be because… well, you know, I've lived my whole life as a humble blacksmith, and… -

- Who cares about that? – Zelda interrupted, with a severe tone. – That doesn't make you any inferior or anything of that. The true royalty is not in a crown, but here. -

Zelda pointed at her own heart, and then at Link's. There was a moment of silence, Link wanted to say something, but the words got lost upon reaching his mouth.

- I don't care about what the Prime Minister, Zephyr, or anyone else has said to you, Link. – Zelda said. – You're more precious to me than anything else, and if I say you're worthy of marrying me, it's because you really are. –

- Zelda… - Link couldn't believe how much the Princess cared for him, no matter their different origins.

- Besides, as far as I can remember, the Prime Minister has always been a grumpy old man, always sticking up to "defend the traditions". – She continued. – If said traditions include talking to my future husband in such an ignominious manner, I'll make sure to dismiss him as soon as I'm crowned. -

- Really? – Link seemed to find very funny that thought.

- Really. – She assured. – And this is a decision I've taken for the rest of my life, and there isn't anything or anyone capable of making me change my mind. Not even the Prime Minister has the authority to do that. -

Zelda approached him a little more, and placed her hand on top of his. Link felt a slight shiver, but she gave him a sweet smile.

- So… I think it's time for us to discard the inhibitions, and to treat each other as it should be. – She said as she dangerously approached him, while using her other hand to caress his cheek, the same cheek where she had slapped him back earlier. – You know, I still feel a tad guilty for having slapped you so hard. -

And saying no more words, she placed her arms around his neck and kissed him. It really felt different now, the last time they had kissed by accident, and while it wasn't completely unlikeable, a freewill kiss was much, much more pleasant. It was hard to believe Zelda had never kissed anyone before him, because she was really good at it. Realizing that he couldn't let her do everything by herself, Link held her waist to bring her closer to him. Little by little, that tender and innocent kiss became more and more passionate, as their hands began groping on each other's bodies. After a few moments, however, they had to separate in order to breathe. Zelda let out a small giggle.

- You were tickling me. – Zelda said smiling.

- Excuse me, I didn't… - Link tried to say something, but Zelda hushed him with her finger.

- Shhh. Did I ever say I didn't like it? – She said, still smiling at him. And as if though she had taken control of the matter, she pushed him into the bed. – And now… -

- Zelda, what do you think you're doing? – Link became a little nervous. It looked like Zelda was up to no good; the innocence had vanished from her face.

- Let me clear up something, Link. – This time, her voice sounded a tad authoritarian. Link realized he couldn't contradict her. – I want you to stop treating me as the Princess of Hyrule. From now on, I want you to treat me as a woman. No, let me correct that, as YOUR woman. -

- But… what about the marriage? – Link asked. Zelda had trapped him under her body, with no escape. – Aren't we supposed to…? -

- The marriage is but a simple formality. – Zelda answered before he ended the question. – I'm your woman before the Goddesses, my life is yours. We need nothing more. -

- But… -

- Link, you know very well how much I despise the idea of using my status as a princess to get something I want. – Zelda said, giving him a tender look. – Please… I don't want you to force me to do it now. Especially… knowing that you desire this as much as I do. -

Those words were the final blow to that inhibitions barrier keeping them apart. Zelda was right, the titles, the formalities, the rules, whatever the Prime Minister or anybody else thought, nothing of that mattered now. All what mattered was their feelings for each other. She loved him, and he loved her back, and that was more than enough so as to demonstrate it to each other. The Princess of Hyrule had disappeared, they were now equals, and that night they would become one as such.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The following morning<strong>__**…**_

The sun was barely rising, announcing the dawn of a new day. Covered only with the warm velvet blankets, the young couple was still sleeping soundly. They both were still embracing each other, and their clothes scattered around the bed. It had been an unforgettable night for both of them.

Zelda was the first who woke up. Living for so long at Link's home made her get used to wake up before the "official" time in the castle. The young woman had found a rather comfy pillow in the chest of her fiancé, who by the way still had his left arm around her waist, therefore even if she wanted, she would be unable to get up yet. The room was so silent Zelda could almost hear his breathing. She moved carefully so as to not wake him up, and stared at his sleeping face, he looked so peaceful and relaxed. Zelda couldn't resist the urge and she softly kissed his lips. Link's eyelids trembled a bit.

- Hmm… - Link slowly opened his eyes, only to find the smiling face of his lovely princess. – I've gone to heaven, and I'm seeing an angel. -

- Good morning, sleepyhead. – She greeted him, still smiling. – Did you have a good night? -

- It couldn't have been better. – He said. – Is it time to get up yet? -

- Not really. – She said, resting back on his chest. – We still have about an hour left before they come to wake us up. -

- And… what will the Prime Minister about… what we did last night? – Link asked, although without the slightest of sign worrying, as he caressed her hair.

- He doesn't have to know. – Zelda said with a somewhat naughty giggle. – It will be our little secret. -

Link smiled. That old geezer, the Prime Minister, wouldn't be a threat anymore. Whatever he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. And in any case, he would shortly be below him. There wasn't anything or anyone to keep him apart from the woman he loved.

- Zelda… there's… there's something I'd like to confess to you. - Link suddenly said.

- Hmm? -

- It's… please don't be mad at me. -

- Why should I be mad? -

- Zelda, I… that time, when we had that picnic… well… -

- What is it, Link? – Zelda asked, looking him into the eyes, and noticing he seemed flustered.

- It turns out that I… well, Ilia was about to pull one of her pranks on you. – Link said. – She snagged your clothes and tried to put itching powder in them. But I caught her red-handed before she could do so, and… -

- And? – Zelda inquired.

- What happened next was … I assure you, I only intended to put your clothes back in their place, but then… I saw you, under the waterfall… - Link admitted, shutting his eyes and his face becoming red-hot, he almost expected Zelda to slap him or yell at him. But then he opened his eyes, and he saw that she wasn't angry or anything, but instead she still smiled at him.

- And you waited up until now to tell me? – She said. – Well… only for being you… I can forgive you, and besides, after last night, what do I care that you have seen me before? -

- Hmm… - Link smiled back at her. – I never wanted to spy on you while you were bathing… but when I saw you, your beauty bewitched me. If the Prime Minister finds out, he'll send me to the dungeon for sure. -

- I thought I had told you, he doesn't need to know. – Zelda said, hugging him again. – And the next time… I'd like if we could bathe together. -

Link chuckled, as he once again stroked gently Zelda's hair. It was so nice to be there with her, not having to worry about anything or anyone. No doubt he could get used to the castle's luxuries.

- Zelda… about our wedding… - Link didn't want to bother her, but they both knew that they had to arrange everything with that. – Have you already decided the date? -

- Yes, I have. – Zelda said. – I thought… it should be the first day of spring. If it's alright for you, of course. -

- Sounds good. – Link said. – Hey… is it OK if I invite my family and friends? -

- How can you ask me that? – Zelda said. – Why of course, we can't leave them out. I'll make sure to send them their invitations, and to have them escorted here. Let's cast accounts, whom will you invite? -

Link counted with his fingers: obviously he'd have to invite his grandparents and sister. He also thought about Romani, Cremia and Malon. And Colin and the kids of the neighborhood would most likely never forgive him if they found out he was getting married and didn't invite them.

- And what about Ilia? – Zelda asked.

- Ilia? Oh please. – Link said. – After all the things she did to us, I don't think she deserves it. -

- I think otherwise. – Zelda said.

- Aw, c'mon. – Link said. – And in any case, why would she come here? I doubt she'd like to see how she loses me forever, after all the effort she made in trying to separate us. –

- That's exactly why we should invite her. – Zelda said. – It will be the perfect chastisement for everything she did. -

- Well, well. I had no idea you had a cruel side, Zelda. – Link said.

- Heh, well, actually… it's not like I want to give her payback for it. – Zelda said. – Rather… I'd just like to talk to her. To see if we can make peace with each other. I don't like holding resentments with anyone, no matter what they've done to me. -

Link didn't say anything, however, he had to admit that Zelda's decision to make peace with Ilia, despite everything she did, demonstrated that the princess was compassionate and didn't like being at odds with anyone. It seemed a much more mature decision than just forgetting the subject and keeping on as if nothing had happened. And that was what Link admired the most in Zelda, her maturity. She would certainly make a great wife, and he hoped he could live up to her.

_**To be continued**__**…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>**:**

And there goes the penultimate chapter. Well, I said Ilia wouldn't get in the way anymore, but I thought I should place one last nuisance inside the castle walls. Something for, in a manner of speaking, Link could show that he's truly worthy of marrying Zelda. I don't know if you guys are gonna kill me for not going into further details about their night together, but the rating of this fic wouldn't have allowed me to put that (and no, I'm not gonna change it, so don't insist). And that's how it goes, people, there's only one more to go, and the story is over. I'll try and finish it before the intensive courses begin.

Thanks for the reviews to** sailorsweetart, Amethyst 269, Lolynka, Hanzo of the Salamander, Ardikani4, Jimbobob5536, Jazzmatazz2000, royal crown, Demyx'sBFF, BitterMagic, Beforethedawnbreaks, , PhinalPhantasy, WhiteXIII, SwimAlongsideTheFreeDolphins, wormy2342001, LunaMidnight, msfcatlover, obsessivereader95, DragonAndRaven, phunky **and** MetaGalleom.** Just one left, people, just one!


	11. The wedding

**The Perfect Husband****.**

**By**** Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** 11: The wedding.**_

_**At the town of Ordon**__**…**_

About two months had passed since Link's departure. Everybody in town felt affected by his absence. Colin and the kids felt really sad and bored, they really missed him. And so did Malon, Romani and Cremia, who were wondering where he had gone. Only Link's family received any news of him, but in his letters he never mentioned an upcoming return to Ordon. He only mentioned that he was well, and that although he needed to get the hang with some things in the castle, he felt really happy living with Zelda. While they were happy for him, that didn't make any easier not to miss him every day.

- I wish we could visit him. – Little Aryll frequently said with sadness.

The person who had taken it the worst, obviously, had been Ilia. The girl was showing up every day at Link's home to ask them about his whereabouts, but they never told her anything, which only worsened her mood. The reason for this was, of course, that Link had requested them before leaving that they wouldn't tell anything to anyone (especially to Ilia) until he was ready to reveal it himself. Nevertheless, Ilia was already suspecting (and correctly) that wherever Link had gone, he probably was with that "invader". They had no idea how would Ilia react once she learnt that he was going to marry (or maybe that he had already married) the Princess of Hyrule.

And so were the things over there. Link's family awaited impatiently the next letter, with many hopes that it would say he'd come to visit them, or that he'd invite them to visit him. Something telling them that they could see him again…

_**KNOCK! KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

- Must be the postman. – Grandma said, taking a look at the clock in the kitchen. - Aryll, you go, please! -

The little girl was sitting next to the window, looking far away with her telescope, but upon hearing her grandmother, she left what she was doing and went to open the door. Indeed, it was the postman, a short, smiling man trotting in his place as he delivered the mail, but this time, aside from the usual letter from Link, he brought along a small package. Aryll took the box and the envelope to the kitchen, where Grandma opened the envelope to read the letter out loud:

"_Dear Grandpa, Grandma and Aryll:_

_How have you been__? I hope you'll forgive me for not writing in a long time, but the past few days I've been really busy. There's so much to do and so little time. It's hard to keep up with the life in the castle, although I think I can get used to some luxuries._

_In any case__, Zelda and I have been making the preparations for our wedding. We've decided it will be on the first day of spring. Therefore, we've sent you the invitations already. They're in the package sent along with this letter."_

Aryll looked at the package; she opened it while Grandma continued reading. Inside, indeed, there were several cards, all of them adorned with the royal family's crest, each one addressed to someone in particular, among them, Romani, Cremia, Malon, and much to Aryll's surprise, also Ilia, where they were invited to the royal wedding of the Princess of Hyrule. Aryll and Grandma smiled, and Grandma continued reading Link's letter.

"_Make sure to deliver the invitations to all of our friends. As I said above, the wedding will be on the first day of spring, so be ready because we'll be sending an escort for you very soon. As for your clothing, don't worry, Zelda hired the best tailors of the kingdom to take care of that for you._

_ With love,_

_ Link." _

- Wow, so they're finally getting married. – Aryll said in excitement.

- Ahh, our dear Link has grown into a full-fledged man. – Grandma said, with a dreamy tone.

- Hey, did I miss something? – Suddenly Grandpa entered, right out of the forge.

- Grandpa! – Aryll exclaimed. – Guess what? Link and the Princess are getting married soon! -

- What did you say? -

- Yes, darling, the invitations have just arrived. – Grandma confirmed. – They said they'll celebrate their wedding on the first day of spring. -

- Wow, that's great news. – Grandpa said.

- I'll deliver the invitations to everybody. – Aryll said as she grabbed the remaining cards. Saying no more words, the little girl put on a hooded coat and a pair of snow boots (the winter was not gone yet).

Running across the snow, Aryll went from house to house delivering the invitations to everyone. She was lucky that Zelda had taught her how to better read Hylian while she was there, that way she knew whom she had to deliver each invitation. There's no need to say that many, if not each one of them, were really surprised about receiving an invitation for a royal wedding, but being such a great honor, nobody complained. Aryll, of course keeping her promise, did not mention anyone that the groom was to be none other than her older brother. Nobody had an idea about it.

After a long while, Aryll arrived at the last house, Mayor Bo's house. For obvious reasons, she had left that one for the last. She had stopped liking Ilia upon learning that she was the one responsible for the row Link and Zelda had had, and she liked her even less after she threw that fit in the harvest dance. She never thought that she'd be capable of something like that. But there was an invitation for her and her father, and Aryll knew that she had to deliver them. Taking a deep breath, she knocked the door (with her fist, being so little she didn't reach the knocker).

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

Aryll hoped that the mayor would open, but unfortunately, he didn't. A second later, Ilia opened the door, she looked left and right and then she looked down to see Aryll.

- Ah, it's you. – She said, as though she didn't care. – Do you need something? -

- I came to give you this. – Aryll said, giving her the two remaining invitation cards. – One for you, the other for your dad. -

- What's this? – Ilia asked. She took the card addressed to her and opened it. It read:

"_Dear Miss Ilia of Ordon:_

_By this letter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been cordially invited to the royal wedding__ of Princess Zelda of Hyrule. The royal escort will arrive to pick you up one week before the celebration, which will take place on the first day of spring._

_ Sincerely yours,_

_ From the desk of the Royal Secretary."_

- Where did you get this? – Ilia asked.

- The postman delivered it to us. – Aryll said. That was true, at least partially.

- Is it any kind of joke? – Ilia inquired, unable to believe it.

- That's the royal family symbol, it's no joke. – Aryll said. – We were invited too. -

- But… why would they invite people of such a small town like this to a royal wedding? – Ilia was still suspicious.

- Inviting you, I don't know. – Aryll said with irony. – Well, I'm leaving; I've done what I came to, bye. -

Ilia stared at the card again. It didn't make any sense. She reread the invitation over again. She stopped at the part of "Princess Zelda of Hyrule". Zelda… Zelda… Wasn't that the name of the girl who had suddenly shown up in Ordon roughly a year ago, and who had grown particularly close to Link? And mysteriously, the girl vanished shortly after the harvest dance, during which they accidentally kissed (and as Ilia remembered, much to her chagrin, she had been the one responsible), and just a few days later, Link went off on a journey for no apparent reason. Furthermore, she remembered that this Zelda girl always talked and did everything in a very educated and refined manner, too much for a common village girl. Coincidence?

- "No… it's not possible that… could that girl be…" –

Ilia's brain started working. It wasn't hard to put one and one together, but if it really was as she thought (and with all her might she wanted to be wrong), Link had fallen in love with the Princess of Hyrule… and they were going to get married!

- Holy Goddesses… no, it can't be truth. No, I'm just paranoid, this doesn't mean anything. – She said to herself.

Ilia went back into her house. She took a deep breath and tried to convince herself that there was nothing to be alarmed of. After all, what could be doing a real princess in such a humble town as Ordon? That girl only had the same name, and not like it was a common one, but if she really was the Princess of Hyrule, she could probably have taken Link wherever she wanted a long time ago, and she didn't. Also, the idea of attending a royal wedding was a unique chance in life, she couldn't let it pass.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Meanwhile<strong>__**, at the Castle…**_

The preparations for the wedding were almost ready. Only two weeks left, two more weeks, and after sealing their matrimonial bond, they would both be crowned as the rightful rulers of Hyrule. Link, however, seemed somewhat scared at the idea of soon to be ruling over an entire kingdom, and he wondered is someone as him would live up to the standards even not being of noble ascent. But Zelda calmed him down saying that, even though she was Princess by birth, she felt the same way as him, but no matter what, they would have each other for support.

That night, after dinner, Zelda didn't go to sleep immediately. Instead, she went down to the mausoleum where her mother's remains rested. Feeling a bit worried, Link went down to see her, even though he had the feeling that she didn't want to be disturbed.

Link walked down a long staircase to the mausoleum underneath the castle. It was illuminated with torches, the stone walls made clear that even this zone was kept clean, possibly in memory of those who rested eternally down there. At the end of a long hallway, he found Zelda, who was kneeled down, praying in front of her mother's grave. Suddenly, Zelda stood up, and turning around she said:

- You took long to come down here. -

- Sorry… I thought maybe you didn't want to be disturbed. – Link said, approaching her.

- Don't worry. – She said, hugging him. – I just came to ask my mother to give us her blessing for our wedding. I know it sounds silly, considering she's dead, but… -

- No, it's not. – Link said. – You know, my parents used to tell me, sometimes the souls of those departed come back to the world of the living to make sure we're alright. I'm sure your mother, wherever she is, is watching over you, just like my parents. -

- She would have loved to meet you. – Zelda said.

- So would I. – Link said. – I've just only seen the portraits in the castle. You're a lot like her, and not just in looks, from what Impa told me. -

Zelda smiled at him. Link held her waist and they both stared at the grave where Queen Selena's remains rested.

- I wish… she was still here… -

Zelda tried to hold herself back, but she felt really sad, and Link noticed, so she hugged her and cuddled her against his chest, giving her a little kiss on her hair. Zelda spoke no more, but as she hugged Link she let out her tears, and she sobbed in silence, as Link stroke her trying to comfort her. It was normal that she felt that way, Zelda loved her mother dearly, and it really pained her that she couldn't be present in such an important moment of her life. Link felt the same; after all, he would have loved to have his parents attend his wedding.

Suddenly, without warning, a glow began filling up the room, as if though somebody had opened a window on the ceiling, however, they were underground and it was nighttime. They both became alarmed, where did that light come from? They remained static, as the mysterious light bathed Queen Selena's grave, and it suddenly became concentrated, taking on a human, female form.

- Mo… Mother? – Zelda was astounded.

- But… what's going on? -

In front of them there was none other than Queen Selena herself. Link saw she was wearing the same regal gown he had seen on the portraits, and Zelda noticed that she looked as radiant and beautiful as in her better days, before contracting that illness. Her image was somewhat transparent, but it shone so bright, it filled up the entire room. Both Link and Zelda were too shocked to speak, until the spirit smiled and talked to them:

- I promised I would always be watching over you, my darling daughter. – She said. – Don't cry, I'm here for you. -

- Mom… - Zelda still had tears in her eyes, but she managed to smile back at her mother. Queen Selena turned around to see Link, who was too pale, evidently this had been too much of an impression for him and he was unable to say a single word.

- So… he's the one you have chosen to be your husband. – She smiled at him. – I must say, he's a very handsome young man. What's your name, boy? -

- My… my name's Link… Y-Your Majesty… - Link tried to sound as respectful as possible, but it was difficult.

- There's no need to be afraid. – The Queen said, sensing his nervousness. – Didn't you just say to my daughter that we who have departed sometimes come back to see how fare our loved ones? You were correct. It's just that not many can see us, or sense us when we are close. -

- And… how come that I…? -

- In the royal family we possess great spiritual and magical powers, granted by the Goddesses themselves many generations back. – The Queen explained. – I believe you might have witnessed firsthand my daughter's gifts with them? -

Link stared at Zelda. Indeed, she had exhibited very interesting magical abilities.

- Well, now you too have a share of said powers, due to the bond you share with my daughter. – The Queen continued. – You truly love her, don't you? -

- Of course. – Link said firmly. – She… she's the most wonderful girl I've ever met. -

- I see. So then, do I have your word that you will look after her? -

- I will. – Link promised. Queen Selena then turned towards her daughter.

- Zelda, dear, I don't have much time left. So before I go, I just want to tell you that I'm really proud of you. I knew you would make a good choice. You granted me my final wish, I'm so happy. -

- I wouldn't have broken that promise for the world. – Zelda said.

- Alright, now I want you to promise me something else. Both of you. Stay always together, and promise me to be as happy as you can be. Will you do it? -

The two teenagers looked at each other, as if though they expected an answer from the other. A few seconds later, they smiled, and turning to look back at the Queen, they nodded firmly.

- Then, I can go in peace now. – The Queen said. – Your father is waiting for me, I must go back to him. -

- Say hello to him for me. – Zelda said. – I love you, Mom. -

- I love you too, my daughter. Goodbye. -

That said, the light illuminating the mausoleum slowly vanished back to where it came from. Link and Zelda looked at it until the last instant, waving the queen goodbye. Finally, all the room went back to its normal state, illuminated only by the torches.

- Well… I did get to meet her, after all. – Link said, and Zelda smiled.

- She really gave us her blessing today. – Zelda said.

- I have no doubts now, you really take after her. – Link said embracing her. – Well, I think we should go back, and let her rest. -

- Yes, you're right. – Zelda said. – She will always be with us, no matter where we are. -

They glanced one last time at the grave, and they left the mausoleum holding hands, resting assured as the spirit of Zelda's mother would always watch over them no matter where they were.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two weeks later<strong>__**…**_

The long-awaited day finally came. There could be no better weather for the celebration of a wedding: the ice and snow had melt, and the sun was shining bright in the sky. Hyrule Castle Town was full of people everywhere, although the most concurred place was the entrance to the temple where the so-expected royal wedding was to take place. The guests arrived one after another, most of them in carriages, others riding on horseback, and a small number on foot. There had been not such amount for people in years.

Aryll and Link's grandparents, who had been staying at the Castle Town's inn for an entire week, were among the first people who arrived, the three of them wearing elegant attires for the occasion (just like Link and Zelda had promised them). The little girl, who had never been in a real wedding before, seemed really excited and impatient, both for the wedding itself, and for seeing her big brother.

- Where is he? Where is he? – Aryll screamed anxiously each five minutes.

- Aryll, dear, calm down. – Grandma said.

- Where's my brother? – She insisted.

- You can stop screaming now. – Grandpa said. – I think he's over there. -

Indeed, Grandpa had spotted a blond young man who was trying to make his way through the bunch of people towards them. When they approached, they saw a Link very different to the one they knew. His hair, usually messy, had been combed and tied up in a short ponytail. He wore an emerald-green costume with golden ornaments, white boots and gloves, and a short, navy-blue cape held by golden shoulder pads.

- Brother! – Aryll cried out, running off to hug him.

- How are you, little sister? – Link said, and then he embraced his grandparents. – I've really missed you. -

- So have we. – Grandma said. – Look at yourself, you're a full-fledged man, and more handsome than ever. – She added with pride.

- Nice costume. – Grandpa said.

- Thanks. – Link replied. – Zelda designed it herself. What surprises me the most is that she seemed to have it ready beforehand. -

- Today will be a day to remember. – Grandpa said. – Your parents would be proud. -

- Yeah, just like us. – Grandma added. – Just imagine it, marrying a princess! -

Link felt tempted to say that they should lower their voices, but he supposed it wouldn't matter, after all everybody was going to find out soon. The four of them walked together chatting around, until a female figure stopped in front of them, blocking their way.

- Well, well, just look who's here… -

Link recognized the voice instantly. Upon turning, of course, he saw Ilia, who had her arms akimbo and glared at him with a "Where have you been all this time?" face. The green-eyed girl was wearing a simple party dress matching her eyes, and a flower-shaped hairpin.

- Hey, Ilia. – Link said.

- Fancy meeting you here, huh? – Ilia said. – You go missing for two months, and then you mysteriously reappear here. Did you get invited to the Princess' wedding too? -

- Eh… yeah, we could say so. – Link said. Evidently, Ilia was still unaware of the truth.

- And that thing you said you had to do, are you done with it? -

- Hmm… actually, not yet. – Link half-admitted. – And please don't go asking me any questions, since I'm not in the mood to answer them at the moment. Now, if you excuse me. -

Link and his family went into the temple to take their places. Ilia, just like everyone else except for the castle's residents, had no idea that he was to be the groom in that wedding. Meanwhile Ilia, who still had her head full of questions, decided to turn around as she waited for the ceremony to begin.

Meanwhile, inside the Castle, Zelda was sitting before the mirror in her room. Her servants had finally finished helping her get ready a few minutes ago, and now she was waiting for Impa to come and pick her up. Her dress was a pearly-white, with a golden corset around her waist, and the traditional over-skirt with the royal family ornaments. She had her shoulders bare, and she was wearing the necklace Link had given her for her birthday. She had dyed her hair brown once again for the occasion, and she had tied it in a high ponytail with a golden, wings-shaped brooch, also holding her veil. In her hands she held a rose bouquet, coming from the very rosebush she had shown Link in one of their strolls for the castle's courtyards. It was almost time… almost time…

_**KNOCK! **__**KNOCK!**_

- Come in. – Zelda said, standing up off her chair. The door opened, and in came Impa, who had changed her usual clothing and had dressed up properly for the occasion.

- The carriage awaits. – She said. – Are you ready? -

- I think so. – Zelda said. – How do I look? -

- Gorgeous. – Impa replied. – More beautiful than I ever remember having seen you in my life. -

- That's because I'm happy, Impa. – Zelda said. – I'm happy for having found such a wonderful man, and for being able to fulfill my mother's final wish. -

- I'm certain she's very happy and proud of you, wherever she is. Well, you better hurry; you mustn't make your future husband wait too long. -

Zelda nodded, and both women went down to the castle hall quickly. At the entrance, Zelda boarded her carriage, which was being pulled, at her request, by Cloud and Epona, even though people saw the horses as being "mismatched", in a manner of speaking, because Cloud was white, and Epona was sorrel, but Zelda wanted it that way, and nobody dared to question the future ruler. Impa waved goodbye at her, telling her they would meet up at the temple for the ceremony.

The large clock on the temple's tower indicated that there were less than 15 minutes before the nuptial ceremony. The guests took their seats. In the first row, on the right side, were Link's family and friends from the town. On the right side were the Oracles, Din and Nayru, who had dressed up elegantly for the wedding as well. In between them, there was a shorter, younger lady with green hair. Link, who was about to take his corresponding place in the altar to wait for the bride, was quite surprised upon recognizing Din and Nayru, whom he remembered from the harvest dance months before. Even more surprised when they made a gesture to him so that he approached them; evidently they too remembered him. Link looked left and right, as if wondering if they were calling him, but he finally approached them.

- It's good to see you again, Link. – Nayru was the first to talk.

- You girls here? – Link was still surprised. – But how come…? -

- Ah, don't you know? – Din intervened. – We Oracles have served Hyrule's royal family for years. There was no way we would miss this wedding. -

- Oracles? – Link still didn't quite understand, but it became clear that these girls were very important people. – But… I thought you were… -

- Performers? – Din completed. – That's just but a hobby, sweetie. Our real job is much, much more important than that. -

- We haven't introduced ourselves properly. – Nayru said. – I am Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, in charge of preserving and keeping the flow of time in perfect order. -

- And I'm Din, the Oracle of Seasons, guardian of the essences of nature. -

- Well… I'm very pleased to meet you. – He greeted them a bit coyly. He then noticed the short girl in between them, who seemed a bit "reserved" so to speak. Din noticed, so she decided to talk in her behalf.

- Ah, and she's Farore, the Oracle of Secrets. – She said. – She's in charge of keeping the secrets of this land safe, so they don't fall in the wrong hands. Come on, Farore, no need to be shy. -

- Em… hi. – The green-haired girl greeted him with a shy smile. Link smiled back at her in the same way.

- Forgive her; being a secrets keeper for so long has caused her to become very reserved, that's all. – Nayru explained.

- In any case, Link, we're all very happy for you two. – Din spoke up. – I must say, I'm quite envious, the Princess found herself a nice prospect. Too bad for me she went ahead. -

- Excuse me? – Link seemed to have misheard.

- You know, not for nothing, but I would have gladly offered you a nice last-bachelor-night party. – She winked at him flirtatiously. Link gulped down.

- Din! Get a hold of yourself, will you? You're talking to the future husband of Princess Zelda and soon to be King of Hyrule, show him some respect. – Nayru scolded her.

- Hey, is it my fault he's so handsome? – Din said, as if though she didn't care at all. Link flushed at the comment, but when Din saw it, she laughed. – Aw, don't take me seriously, I'm just teasing. I'm not one who would steal another woman's man, let alone the Princess' man. Although, I would be lying if I said you're not my type. If only you weren't booked already… -

Even though he felt somewhat uncomfortable at Din's innuendos, Link couldn't deny that she and her friends were very nice girls. And he couldn't help but imagine for a second about the "last-bachelor-night party" Din spoke of, after all he had seen her dancing before, and the idea didn't sound unpleasant at all, but he then thought Zelda might not approve it. After chattering with them for a while (Farore barely intervened), he went back to his place.

At the same time, on the other side, Link's family and friends were still sitting on their places. Malon, Romani and Cremia had seen Link talking to the girls on the other side, but due to the noise of all the people chattering around them, they couldn't hear what they said. They too were surprised upon seeing him, especially after gone missing from town for a couple of months. Malon stared at Aryll and her grandparents, who didn't seem remotely impressed. It was clear that they knew something she and the others ignored.

- Hey, did I miss something? – Ilia arrived in a hurry, and occupied the place in between Malon and Aryll.

- No, not really. – Malon said.

- Wait up, what's Link doing there? – Ilia asked. – Isn't that the place reserved for the groom? -

- Eh? – Malon looked, and she noticed Ilia was right. Link was standing on the place reserved for the groom. – You're right. -

Malon's head started working out. The invitation to the wedding said that the Princess' name was Zelda. The same name of the girl who had appeared in Ordon, and had established a strong and close friendship with them, and especially with Link (with whom obviously she had more than a mere friendship). Malon also remembered that Zelda always carried a lot of money, and now that she thought about it, it didn't sound crazy to think that she might have gotten it for being a Princess. Furthermore, Zelda had left town shortly after the harvest dance (when she and Link accidentally kissed each other in front of everyone), and barely a few days later, Link left too, with no apparent explanation. And suddenly, he was here, dressed up in an elegant attire, standing on the place for the groom, in a royal wedding.

- Ilia… don't you think that…? -

- Think what? No, Malon, of course not. – Ilia said, unable to hide her nervousness. Her biggest fears seemed close to become true.

Malon, however, suspected what was about to happen. Nothing of that could be a mere coincidence. Everything fit too well to be a coincidence. Ilia, on the other hand, had become a bunch of nerves, and she wished with all her might that the groom would be the black-haired boy dressed in purple standing next to Link, and/or the bride wouldn't be the Zelda (or as she used to call her, the "invader") she had met. She clung to that insignificant hope like a castaway to a board, although she was sure she would sink in any moment's notice.

As the orchestra began playing the wedding march, announcing the bride's arrival to the temple, everybody turned around to the entrance. The carriage had just stopped, and the escorts opened the door for her to come out.

- "Please don't be her… please don't be her…" – Ilia begged, as she rubbed her hands.

The bride walked across the red carpet towards the altar. Everybody marveled upon seeing her, the Princess looked more beautiful and radiant than ever, although more due to her happiness than anything else. When she finally came to the first row, where Ilia was, the green haired wanted the earth to swallow her in the spot. And even more when, against all of her wishes, it was Link who took her hand, and accompanied her to the altar.

- It… can't… be… - Ilia mumbled.

- So then, Zelda is the Princess of Hyrule? – Malon was expecting it, but it didn't make it any less surprising. – It was no coincidence that they had the same name? -

- Incredible. – Cremia added. She glanced at Link's family, who seemed to be the only ones not impressed at all. – You guys… knew it already? – She asked Aryll.

- Hehe… well, actually, yes. – The little girl replied. – Zelda… told us everything when she left. But Link made us promise we wouldn't tell anyone, until he was ready. -

- I can't believe this… - Ilia was pale. – And all this time, I… -

- You behaved like a complete idiot with her. – Malon completed. No doubt, Ilia would have NEVER acted like that had she known who Zelda was, so she was unable to give a reply.

As the priest gave the habitual marriage speech, each passing second became eternal to Ilia, it was a real torture. Partly due to the fact that, at long last, a spark had lit on inside her head and started tormenting her, making her realize how wrong was everything she had done, and partly because each passing second brought her closer to lose Link forever. After what seemed to be millennia, the moment everybody (except Ilia) was waiting for came.

- Princess Zelda, do you accept this young man as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and respect him, in health and illness, in richness and poorness, until death do you part? -

- I do. – Zelda said, radiant in happiness.

- And you, Link, do you accept the Princess of Hyrule as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and respect her, in health and illness, in richness and poorness, until death do you part? - -

- I do. – Link said. Ilia felt as though she had just broken down and crumbled into thousand pieces.

- If there's anyone present who might consider having a reason for this union not to be carried out, speak now, or remain forever silent. -

In that very instant, something within Ilia urged her to stand up and talk. – Well… now you mention it, I think that… -

- YOU SHUT UP! – Aryll and Malon screamed simultaneously, dragging some looks.

- Sorry. Please go on, Your Holiness. – Malon apologized, sitting back down, not without looking daggers at Ilia, clearly saying "Don't even think about it". Aryll glared at her the same way.

- *Ahem*, as I was saying… By the powers the Goddesses grant me today, I thereby declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride. -

And the priest didn't even finish pronouncing the last words, but Link and Zelda were kissing each other like never before. Everyone in the temple applauded and screamed in joy. Everyone except for Ilia, who was making a huge effort to not to cry. But nobody even stared at her. Upon leaving the temple, when Zelda threw her bouquet, it went from hand to hand among all of the women who tried to catch it, until it ended up in Malon's, who was quite surprised, as she didn't even notice first, but she then smiled.

The crowning ceremony followed the weeding immediately. It took place at the Castle's great hall, and the guests for the wedding were present as well. Zelda was wearing the crown once belonging to her mother, while Link had to put on the one belonging to Zelda's father. The latter, as Link noticed, was a bit heavy due to the gold and the gemstones it was made of, and about five minutes later he started feeling a bit of a headache. He let Zelda know, and he asked her if he had to put up with that every day. She told him not to worry, the crown was only to be worn in very special ceremonies, and she said he could take if off once they were inside the carriage.

As they walked across the red carpet towards the carriage, more than ready to start their honeymoon, Zelda noticed that, in the middle of all the people surrounding the, Ilia applauded unenthusiastically, and her face told them she was clearly depressed. Zelda ceased her advance, and made a gesture to Link so as to approach her. The time had come.

- So … do you have something to tell us? – Zelda asked. Ilia was surprised, her voice didn't have the slightest sign of reproach, resentment or anything of the kind.

- Hmm… only… that I've behaved like a real stupid. – Ilia replied, blushing.

- And coming from you, that's saying a lot. – Link commented. – Anything else? A couple more of words like, for instance, "I'm sorry"? -

- Link, it's alright, there's no need to push her. – Zelda said. – I'm sure she repents for everything she did to us, don't you, Ilia? -

Ilia was surprised that Zelda came up to defend her. And even more that she hadn't moved a finger to throw her into the dungeon or something like that for everything she did. Had she known who she really was… she would have had second thoughts.

- What I just don't get is… why did you keep it a secret? – Ilia said. – I mean, being… being who you are, you could have… well, you get my drift. -

- Using my standing to get something I wish goes against my principles. – Zelda explained. – If I did it that way, it would be worthless. -

- And I'm glad she didn't do it. – Link said. – This way, I got to know the real Zelda, not the Princess of Hyrule. -

- Link… I want you to tell me something. – Ilia said. – Exactly… what did I lack, and you saw in her? -

- Hmm… - Link thought about it. That question was not very easy to answer. – Going right down to one thing… I'd say Zelda is much more mature than you. She wasn't lurking around me like a stalker, neither did she do all of those childish acts you did. -

Ilia looked at Zelda. So it was that. Ilia was just too focused on trying to win Link's affection, so much, that she didn't notice that the harder she tried, the less attractive she was to him. Zelda, on the other hand, didn't make a hard effort. Simply put, she just had to be herself to earn Link's affection. Inverse psychology, so to speak, the less she tried to impress, the more impressive she would be. If only she had known before…

- I… Zelda… I mean, your Majesty… - She wasn't sure what she should call her. She was so used to call her "invader", and now she felt she had to make up for such disrespectfulness.

- You can call me just by my name, that's alright. – Zelda said.

- Fine… Zelda… - Ilia finally said. – I want you to promise me something. -

- Sure. -

- Promise me… no matter what… you'll make Link happy. – She put up a great effort to let out each word. – If you don't… I swear I'll never forgive you. I'll feel even worse for having lost to you. -

Surprisingly, despite Ilia's choice of words, nothing of that sounded like a threat. Maybe, in her very particular manner, that was her way to wish the best for both of them. Zelda seemed to interpret it that way, so she simply nodded and smiled.

Being at peace with Ilia, the newly crowned King and Queen of Hyrule continued her walk. They boarded the carriage, and after closing the door, Link could finally take off the heavy crown, and he mumbled that his first official act as king would be to have crafted a more weightless one. Zelda giggled at this.

- So… where should we go first for our honeymoon? – Link asked.

- There's so much to choose from. – Zelda said. – Holodrum, Labrynna… there are so many beautiful places I want to visit. -

- Well, we'll go anywhere you want. – Link said, taking her hands with his own. – I'd go to the world's ends with you. -

- Link… - Zelda dangerously approached his lips. – I don't know what the future has in store for us … but if you're there with me, I'm sure we can make it through. -

- Same here. – He whispered. – Have I told you how much I love you? -

- Once or twice. – She smiled. – But I don't mind that you keep reminding me. -

And so, they embraced each other and kissed sweet and tenderly. But more than a simple kiss, it was the beginning of a new life for both of them. They were finally together, and they knew that neither anyone nor anything could separate them.

_**FIN.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>**:**

Uff, and so, the story comes to a close. I hope it's clear that I still dislike Ilia (and I always will), but I thought it would be better to have them made peace with each other. In any case, I couldn't resist to have her do "the last ditch effort" in the part of "speak now, or remain forever silent".

Final thanks to **Beforethedawnbreaks, Radius Flame, Jimbobob5536, sailorsweetart, Onigami, godzilla90fan, PhinalPhantasy, Amethyst 269, wormy2342001, Hanzo of the Salamander, ObsessedWithZelda3102000, Jazzmatazz2000, lv1s **and **Lolynka. **Hopefully I'll be posting a new story soon, so, until then, farewell.**  
><strong>


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